Trudeau Defies Security Protocol, Rejects Presidential Suite During G20 Summit Stay

In the wake of the ongoing diplomatic row between India and Canada, it has now come to light that, when Canada PM Justin Trudeau was in India for the G20 summit, his security personnel refused to let their PM stay in the presidential suite at the Lalit Hotel Delhi.

Multiple media reports have stated that the Presidential Suite at the Lalit in Central Delhi had been specially furnished for Justin Trudeau during the G20 summit in India on 9th and 10th September. As per security protocol for the visiting heads of state, the Indian establishment had made quite a lot of arrangements for the Canadian PM also.

The reason for this change of plan is still not clear. According to a report in Times of India, Indian officials were taken aback when Trudeau's delegation decided not to stay in the assigned suite but opted for normal rooms instead. This was followed by rounds of negotiations where Indian officials insisted on following the protocol to ensure the PM's security. Since the final call in such cases is of the visitor dignitary and its embassy, Indian officials had to back off after the Canadian side refused to budge.

Not only this, reportedly, Canadians also offered to pay for the Presidential suite despite not having used it. Speculations have been that Trudeau was just following the instructions of his security team.

Security for the Canadian PM from the Indian side at the Lalit included advanced security shields made of bulletproof glass with a thick polycarbonate plastic layer that could even stop sniper bullets being installed. This is not all, there was other security equipment installed which was part of a foolproof arrangement, as per sources in the security establishment.

More drama followed after the summit when the Canadian PM could not leave on the 10th of September as scheduled because the aircraft reported a malfunction. An additional 36-hour delay then ensued. Finally, Trudeau left on Tuesday, September 12th afternoon, after the malfunction was rectified and the aircraft got a flight clearance. Reportedly, even in 2016 and 2019, Trudeau faced similar situations where his aircraft malfunctioned.