Indian cars not safe enough for Canadian PM Stephen Harper

NEW DELHI: With all its security trappings, India still didn't have the right vehicle to ensure security for Canadian PM Stephen Harper during his highly successful visit to the country in November last year. Or, at least that's what the Canadian government seems to have concluded after having been forced to defend in Parliament its decision to have an armoured Cadillac and an SUV — in which Harper drove to Taj Mahal — flown into India ahead of his arrival.

Questions were raised in Parliament last week by Canada's opposition, New Democratic Party, after the government revealed that transporting the two vehicles to India in a C-17 Globemaster cost over a million dollars. The Conservative government said in its official response that it was the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) which "determined there were no appropriate vehicles available in India" for driving Harper around.

The government said further information on the selection criteria for armoured vehicles could not be provided as it could "compromise the security measures put in place for protecting the prime minister''. Apart from Delhi, Harper also visited Agra, Bangalore and Chandigarh where he used his own vehicles.

Describing it as an internal matter of Canada, government officials here said Canadian authorities were provided with several armoured car options — including a Mercedes Benz — but these were turned down by the RCMP.

Interestingly, the same options were provided to Australian PM Julia Gillard and she accepted the offer. According to Indian officials, more and more heads of government prefer to use locally made vehicles in India. It's the US president who almost always travels in the Beast, the armoured presidential limousine, whenever he is abroad.

Harper had an immensely successful, almost week-long India visit in November. The highlight of the visit was the conclusion of negotiations for export of uranium to India. Harper withstood pressure from local lobbies which were insisting that Ottawa sign an extremely restrictive (for India) end user agreement with New Delhi for monitoring use of its uranium.

Harper's foreign minister John Baird came out in support of the decision to use Canadian cars as he highlighted how people of India had paid a very heavy price when it came to the war on terror. "They have lost two prime ministers in the last 25 years," he was quoted as saying.

Baird also referred to the attacks in Mumbai in 2008. "When it comes to national security and the security of our prime minister, we will take advice from the RCMP over the NDP (opposition party) every single time," he added.