Canada’s new govt unequivocally stands against terrorism: Carney on Kanishka bombing anniv

The newly elected government of Canada, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, has said that it “unequivocally stood against terrorism”.

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India has long accused Canada of going soft on the likes of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who is a wanted terrorist.

On the anniversary of bombing of Air India’s jet Kanishka over the Atlantic Ocean, Carney, who took over from Justin Trudeau in March, said: “The Canada’s new government unequivocally stands against terrorism, and we will deliver on our mandate of change to keep communities safe.”

“As we mark the National Day of Remembrance for victims of terrorism, we remember the victims of the ‘Air India bombing’ and all others, who have lost their lives to terrorism. Canada will continue to work with our allies and partners, at home and around the world, to better detect, prevent and respond to the threat of terrorism and violent extremism,” he added.

On June 23, 1985, Air India flight 182, flying from Toronto to Mumbai, exploded mid-air near the Irish coast, killing 329 people, including 268 Canadians and 24 Indians, on board.

Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was accused of being the mastermind behind the bombing was acquitted by a Canadian court in 2005.

However, Malik was shot dead by two gunmen in Surrey, British Columbia, in July 2022. The two gunmen Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez pleaded guilty of killing Malik in a Canadian Court. Another suspect in the ‘Kanishka bombing’, Canadian national Talwinder Singh Parmar, a leader of the terror outfit, Babbar Khalsa, was shot dead by the Punjab Police in October 1992.

Earlier last week, a report by the Canadian Intelligence had stated that Khalistani extremists continue to use the country as a base for promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India.

While there were no attacks by Khalistani elements in Canada in 2024, ongoing involvement in violent activities by these elements continued to pose a national security threat to Canada and Canadian interests, it stated.

The report had also mentioned about Canada’s Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference (PIFI), saying “foreign interference violated Canadian sovereignty and led to the expulsion of six Government of India officials”.