Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who arrived in India on Sunday for a week-long visit, was at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad today. He will hold talks with Narendra Modi on wide-ranging issues, including defence, and counter-terror cooperation, on February 23.


Yesterday, Trudeau, accompanied by his wife and three children, visited the Taj Mahal. This is his second visit to the Taj. He tweeted, "I was about Xav's age when I first visited the Taj Mahal almost 35 years ago... and it's amazing to be back with him & the family on Day 1 of our trip to India."


While officials said that Trudeau's visit to Gujarat will be the first by a Canadian prime minister, the absence of PM Modi to shepherd him around has raised eyebrows, especially by the Canadian media.


Every time foreign heads of state visited his home state Gujarat, PM Modi has been present. The PM accompanied Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last year and Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014 during their visits to Gujarat.


In UP, neither was CM Yogi Adityanath present to welcome Trudeau in the state.


Speculation is rife that PM Modi's absence is a snub for Justin Trudeau because of India's concerns over Sikh radicalism in Canada and support for a separate Khalistan state.


Image: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau with his wife Sophie and three children at the Sabarmati Ashram this morning. The picture was tweeted by India's envoy to Canada, Vikas Swarup.