Harper's India Trip Marred With Controversy and Chaos

Though we will only get the photo-ops and the 'isn't Harper grand' news from Mrs. Peacock's kindergarten class in Pravda Ca-Na-Da, the news out of India tells a different story. Not a different story about the way that the Reformers conduct business, but a different story than the official one.

Apparently he insulted religious groups, refused to talk to the press and roughed up those trying to get a story. Sound familiar?

...refuses prasad, langar; lensmen roughed up

Controversy and chaos marked Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Golden Temple visit. Harper refused to partake of prasad at Darshani Deodi after being dissuaded by his aide, Alisa Mohammed. He also declined langar.

SGPC officials said she also made them vacate their information office prior to the premier’s arrival. “When we objected, she said she had already spoken to the SGPC secretary on the matter. It is for the first time that we have suffered such humiliation at hands of a foreigner in our own office,” said a senior SGPC official, expressing resentment over the behaviour of the Canadian PM’s staff ....

No invites for Bhattal,
Sidhu Tribune News Service
Chandigarh/Amritsar,
November 18. 2009

The Punjab Government drew flak for not inviting Opposition leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu to the reception of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Amritsar today. Amritsar Mayor Shwait Malik, PSIEC chairperson Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina and MLA Anil Joshi were not allowed to enter the Rajasansi Airport where they had gone to receive the Canadian premier ....

Harper Admits India Trip Not For Us But Him

The Reform Conservatives are no longer trying to hide the fact that every single thing they do is to advance the interests of the party.

Most world leaders visit other nations in the interest of doing business, while taking advantage of photo-ops. For Harper this trip is about going for photo-ops while taking a few moments to conduct business.

He's ignored India for four years until someone told him that this was the best way to steal Ruby Dhallah's seat so they can get their new star Parm Gill elected.

And if you don't believe me. The headline to this story should be enough to convince you: Prime minister hopes Bollywood glitz on trip to India will appeal to Canadian voters. Millions more dollars for Conservative advertising. When will we say enough is enough?

David Akin,
Canwest News Service
November 16, 2009

MUMBAI, India — Prime Minister Stephen Harper will meet India’s answer to Brad Pitt on Monday and pose for pictures with Indo-Canadian contestants of a
wildly popular TV dance contest. The reason? More votes in Canada.

The pictures of Harper meeting Bollywood mega-star Akshay Kumar are pure political gold, say Conservatives in Canada. So too is Harper’s tour Monday of the television studio that is home to the reality show Premier Dance League — the subcontinent’s version of So You Think You Can Dance — that is a hit here and with the Indian diaspora in Canada. Three Indo-Canadians have advanced through several rounds of the contest. (I wonder if he'll dance. Probably) Harper’s three days India will certainly contain some of the standard photo-ops one would expect ...

All partisan politics all the time.