Days after Canadian Parliament pays tribute to Khalistani leader Nijjar, EAM Jaishankar recalls horror of 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing

Amid ongoing diplomatic rigidity between India and Canada over the Khalistan subject, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday noticed the thirty ninth anniversary of the Kanishka bombing and mentioned the day is a reminder of why terrorism ought to by no means be tolerated.

“Today marks the thirty ninth anniversary of one of the worst acts of terrorism in historical past,” Jaishankar posted on X.

“Pay my homage to the reminiscence of the 329 victims of AI 182 ‘Kanishka’ who have been killed today in 1985. My ideas are with their households. The anniversary is a reminder why terrorism ought to by no means be tolerated,” he mentioned.

The Indian Embassy in Canada additionally paid tribute to the victims of the bombing incident and posted on X: “India stands on the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works intently with all nations to sort out this world menace.”

“June 23, 2024 marks the thirty ninth Anniversary of the cowardly terrorist bombing of Air India flight 182 (Kanishka), during which 329 harmless victims together with 86 youngsters, misplaced their lives in a single of essentially the most heinous terror-related air disasters within the historical past of civil aviation,” the Embassy mentioned.

“A Memorial Service is scheduled at 1200 hrs on June 23, 2024 on the Air India Flight 182 Monument at Commissioner’s Park, Dow’s lake, Ottawa. The High Commission encourages members of the Indian Diaspora to be part of the occasion in a present of solidarity in opposition to terrorism,” the submit additional mentioned.

According to reviews, the Indian consulate in Vancouver is observing a memorial service on the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park’s Ceperley Playground space.

The consulate in Toronto goes to observe a memorial service at South Lawns, Queens Park.

Nijjar row

Meanwhile, triggering rigidity between the 2 nations, the Canadian Parliament final week noticed a minute’s silence in reminiscence of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India has lodged a robust protest with the Canadian High Commission in Delhi opposing the group of the Citizen’s Courts by Khalistani activists in Canada.

“We have strongly protested on the Canadian High Commission right here. Such courts or gatherings will not be useful in any respect. We have strongly taken it up with them and requested them to take applicable motion within the matter,” mentioned Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), instructed ANI.

“We have been repeatedly calling upon the federal government of Canada to take motion. Political house supplied to extremist anti-India components and people advocating violence should cease they usually should take motion,” Jaiswal mentioned.

Nijjar, 45, was shot lifeless in June final yr exterior a gurdwara in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a big Sikh inhabitants.

A number of months later, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian authorities involvement, triggering a diplomatic disaster with New Delhi.

Kanishka Bombing

On June 23, 1985, Air India’s ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182, which was travelling from Montreal to New Delhi, was destroyed in a mid-air explosion, ensuing within the loss of 329 harmless lives.