I have more Sikh ministers than Modi: Canadian PM

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, known for his witty repartees, told an American audience here that he has more Sikhs in his Cabinet than his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

The quip came when Mr Trudeau was taking 10 questions from students at the American University in northwest Washington during his state visit to the US.

During the half-an-hour session at the university on Friday, a student named Jahan from the Punjab province of Pakistan told Mr Trudeau that it was really great to see so many Punjabis in his Cabinet.

“I have more Sikhs in my Cabinet than Modi does,” Mr Trudeau was quoted as saying by the Canadian daily the Star.

The 44-year-old, who assumed office in November 2015, surprised one and all by including four Sikh-Canadians in his Cabinet.

The four Sikh-Canadians inducted into Mr Trudeau’s Cabinet include defence minister Harjit Sajjan, a combat veteran who did three tours in Afghanistan as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Apart from Mr Sajjan, the other three Sikh ministers are — infrastructure minister Amarjeet Sohi, small business minister Bardish Chagger and innovation minister Navdeep Singh Bains, Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail had reported at the time.

There were also 17 Sikh MPs elected in the election in Canada in October 2015 — 16 from the Liberal Party of Canada and one Conservative — the highest number of Sikhs ever elected in the country.

In contrast, there are two Sikh Cabinet ministers in the Modi government: Maneka Gandhi, who is a Sikh by birth, and food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Mr Trudeau, in the past, has been spotted doing bhangra moves and visiting gurdwaras several times. He has also participated in Diwali celebrations as well as a Gurbani recital. He has even been seen helping out women in preparing meals in a langar.