Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi closed out his three-day trip to Canada on Thursday, spending his final stanza with his Canadian counterpart, Stephen Harper, in Vancouver and Surrey, B.C.
Modi appeared with Harper at Vancouver's Ross Street Sikh temple and Surrey's Lakshmi Narayan Hindu temple in Surrey, driving past protestors at both locations.
There were about 200 protestors outside the Surrey temple, reported the Leader's Evan Seal. One man in Surrey held up a sign that read, "Sikhs want justice. Sikhs want freedom." Another sign was stapled to a telephone poll and read, "Release All Our Illegally Detained Sikh Political Prisoners."
However, inside the venue, "Modi was received by thousands of jubilant people," reported Seal. He said Modi was greeted by "Music, singing and plenty of smiles."
"Make no mistake, the government of Canada and Canadians overwhelmingly support and will always stand-by the unity and the strength of India in the world," Harper said (video above).
"I would like to express my gratitude and I would like to invite you all in joining me and raising a toast to Prime Minister Harper, to all of the friendly people of Canada, and to Indo-Canadian relations," said Modi, through a translator. "Our very best wishes."
Modi's trip also included stops in Toronto and Ottawa.