Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unexpectedly attended an event featuring Indian-Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, where he commended Dosanjh for his accomplishments. However, Trudeau's post on X about the meeting stirred controversy by describing Dosanjh as "a guy from Punjab," leading many to question why he didn't refer to Dosanjh as an Indian artist.

BJP's National Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa criticized Trudeau, accusing him of "deliberate mischief through wordplay" in his X post.

Social media erupted with comments denouncing Trudeau, who has had a strained relationship with the Indian government. India has repeatedly criticized Trudeau's administration for its handling of Khalistani elements.

Before his post on X, Trudeau met Dosanjh on Sunday at his show 'Dil-Luminati,' which ran from April 28 to July 13 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The sold-out event attracted around 50,000 attendees.

Trudeau greeted Dosanjh warmly and posed with his team, even joining in to cheer, "Punjabi aa gaye oye" (Punjabis are here).

Sharing a photo of their meeting, Trudeau wrote on X, "Stopped by the Rogers Centre to wish Diljit Dosanjh good luck before his show."

"Canada is a great country — one where a guy from Punjab can make history and sell out stadiums. Diversity isn't just our strength. It's a super power," the Canadian Prime Minister added.

Trudeau's post drew criticism from those who felt he should have acknowledged Dosanjh as an Indian. One user wrote, "CORRECTION: A guy from India." Another commented, "Dosanjh is an Indian. Why are you afraid to say it?"

"Diljit Dosanjh is I.N.D.I.A.N. Punjab is in India. Therefore, Diljit is a guy from India who made it big. Hope Canadians see through your facade," another user shared on X.

"How has he singled out Punjab here @JustinTrudeau? Punjab is and will be part of India," another user commented.

Another critic linked the post to Canada's support for Khalistani elements. "This guy is from India. We see what you're doing. Fuelling the Khalistani agenda of your Khalistani separatist voter base in Canada to stay in power," they wrote.

The backlash against Trudeau's post comes amid already tense relations between India and Canada. Relations have been strained since Trudeau's allegations of potential involvement of Indian agents in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in September last year, claims that New Delhi has rejected as "absurd and motivated."

BJP's Manjinder Singh Sirsa reiterated his criticism of Trudeau for calling Diljit Dosanjh a "Punjabi singer" instead of an "Indian singer," accusing Trudeau of "deliberate mischief through wordplay."

"Let me correct this, Mr Prime Minister -- where one guy from INDIA can make history and sell out stadiums," Sirsa wrote.

"Your gesture of lauding a fantastic artist like Diljit has been totally overshadowed by your deliberate mischief through wordplay," Sirsa added.

During his tour, Dosanjh shared the stage with Ed Sheeran and appeared on Jimmy Fallon's show. Known for his work in both the Hindi and Punjabi film industries, he is a leading figure in Punjabi music.

Diljit Dosanjh grew up in Dosanjh Kalan, a village in Phillaur tehsil of Jalandhar, and later moved to Ludhiana. He has previously clarified his catchphrase "Punjabi aa gaye oye" and his identification as a Punjabi singer.

"Where is Punjab? In India. When I am talking about Punjab, I am talking about India. And there are already very big artists at the level of India," he said during a podcast interview.

Dosanjh emphasized his connection to India and Punjab. "I come from a very small place, Punjab, a state. And my language is also very simple, Punjabi. Now because of a little Hindi film, I started speaking Hindi. And if I get a chance, I sing Hindi. But I can't write Hindi songs myself," he said.

He concluded by reaffirming his Punjabi identity within the context of India. "Punjab is in India. So, I have seen comments that, why don't you speak in Indian? Punjab is in India. The thing is that India is very big and there are already big artists in India."

Despite Dosanjh's earlier clarifications, people perceived Trudeau's description of him as a "Punjabi guy" as a mischief.