[Source: BBC]

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stranded in India after his plane experienced technical difficulties.

The Canadian military is working to bring Mr Trudeau home but his earliest possible departure is Tuesday afternoon, his office said.

Mr Trudeau was set to leave on Sunday, following a tense meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit.

The flight situation “remains fluid”, his office said.

In a statement sent to the BBC, Canada’s Department of National Defence confirmed that the first aircraft – a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-150 Polaris with the tail number ’01’ – suffered a “maintenance problem” stemming from a “component that will have to be replaced”.

“The safety of all passengers is critical to the RCAF and pre-flight safety checks are a regular part of all our flight protocols,” the statement added. “The discovery of this issue is evidence that these protocols are effective”.

A replacement aircraft dispatched to India to retrieve Mr Trudeau was reportedly diverted to the UK, and is expected to depart from there on Tuesday.

While the defence department’s statement confirmed a second aircraft had been dispatched to bring Mr Trudeau home, it did not comment on the location of the aircraft or on expected timelines for his return to Canada.

The incident is not the first time that Mr Trudeau has had plane-related travel issues.

In 2019, a plane carrying journalists collided with the wing of an aircraft chartered to transport him on the campaign trail. He was not onboard the aircraft at the time.

The relationship between Canada and India is growing increasingly strained, with Canada recently suspending negotiations on a trade treaty with India.

Political protests by Canada’s large Sikh population are a flashpoint.

A prominent advocate for a separate Sikh nation, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot dead by two masked gunmen in British Columbia in June. Sikh separatists took to the streets of Toronto to protest the Indian government, which they believe is responsible for his death. The killing is still under investigation.

In the meeting with Mr Trudeau, Mr Modi aired concerns about “continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada”, who he said were promoting secessionism and inciting violence, according to his office.

Meanwhile, Mr Trudeau’s team said the prime minister had “raised the importance of respecting the rule of law, democratic principles, and national sovereignty”.

Mr Trudeau later told a press conference he had also discussed foreign interference with Mr Modi. Canada is including India in its sweeping investigation into election interference, which is also looking into China and Russia.