With Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau slated to visit holy city Amritsar on Wednesday, Union minister of state (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri and Punjab local government and cultural affairs and tourism minister, Navjot Singh Sidhu would receive him at Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport.

Disclosing this on Tuesday, an official spokesman said Sidhu would also accompany the Canadian PM on a visit to the Sri Darbar Sahib and the partition museum.

“On the directions of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Sidhu would receive the Canadian PM at both the places. At the airport, Sidhu would be accompanied by the Commissioner of Police SS Srivastva and the deputy commissioner, Kamaldeep Singh Sangha,” the spokesman said.

Later on, at Sri Darbar Sahib, the visiting dignitary would be accompanied by Puri and Sidhu, the spokesman said. Afterwards at partition museum LokSabha MP from Amritsar, Gurjeet Singh Aujla would accompany Sidhu.

Divulging more, the spokesman said that the Punjab Government accords full importance to the ties it has with the Canadian government and is committed wholeheartedly to further strengthen the mutual co-operation between the two governments.

Amaridner Singh-led Punjab government on Monday said it will roll out the red carpet for Trudeau in Amritsar.

The CM, who will hold a one-to-one meeting with visiting Canadian PM in Amritsar on Wednesday, who has issued instructions to the state administration to roll out the red carpet for the visiting dignitary.
“Look forward to meeting Canadian Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau in Amritsar on Wednesday. I’m hopeful that this meeting will help strengthen the close Indo-Canadian business ties as well as the deep-rooted people-to-people relations between our two countries,” Amarinder had tweeted.

While trade and business will be the key focus area of the meeting, the two leaders are also expected to discuss steps to intensify the close relations between the people of the two countries, according to a spokesperson of the CM’s office.

Punjab has deep roots with Canada, where a large Punjabi community is settled, and has always striven to strengthen the connect, said Amarinder, appreciating Trueau’s efforts in this direction.

The CM referred to Trudeau’s apology two years ago in the Canadian Parliament, where the PM had apologised for the 1914 Komagata Maru incident, in which hundreds of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu passengers in a ship were denied entry to Canada and forced to return to India, where they met a violent fate.