Justin Trudeau calls Diljit Dosanjh ‘guy from Punjab’, BJP leader lectures him: ‘Intentional nonsense’ | Latest news from India

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of deliberate malice for describing Diljit Dosanjh as a Punjabi singer rather than an Indian singer in a social media post.

The Canadian Prime Minister made a surprise visit to Diljit Dosanjh’s show in Toronto, sharing a picture on X (formerly Twitter) and writing: “Stopped by to wish @diljitdosanjh luck before his show at the Rogers Centre.”

“Canada is a great country – one where a man from Punjab can make history and fill stadiums. Diversity is not just our strength. It is a superpower,” he added.

However, he was criticised by BJP national general secretary Manjinder Sirsa, who said: “Let me get this right, Mr Prime Minister – a man from India can create history and fill stadiums. Your gesture of praising a fantastic artist like @diljitdosanjh has been completely overshadowed by your deliberate puns.”

The BJP leader said Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in Canada was amazing and a rare experience. Seeing Justin Trudeau there and taking a photo with him was an even prouder moment, he said.

“I was proud that an Indian, a Punjabi artist, got so much recognition that the Prime Minister came to see him. However, Trudeau tarnished this good gesture by not identifying this artist as an Indian. The Prime Minister holds a dignified office and he should have maintained that dignity,” Sirsa said. Diljit Dosanjh performed in Canada last weekend in front of a packed house at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, making history as the first Punjabi artist to fill the venue. He shared snippets of his performance to popular tracks like ‘Born to Shine’ and to the cheering crowd on his Instagram stories. Dosanjh has been striving for global recognition for years. The Punjabi singer and actor recently made waves in the US with an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, made history at Coachella and was a success at the North American box office with his Punjabi romantic comedy Jatt & Juliet 3.