India’s Kanishka retort after Canada ‘honours’ Hardeep Singh Nijjar

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, June 19

The Indian Government responded in kind to the Canadian Parliament’s ‘commemoration’ of the death of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Editorial: The Nijjar factor

After the Canadian Parliament observed a minute of silence on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of Nijjar’s death, the Indian Consulate General in Vancouver announced a memorial service to pay tribute to the 329 victims of the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182 (Kanishka) carried out by Khalistanis based in Canada.

India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all countries to tackle this global threat. —Indian Consulate General

“India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat. June 23, 2024, marks the 39th anniversary of the cowardly terrorist bombing of Air India flight 182 (Kanishka), in which 329 innocent victims, including 86 children, lost their lives in one of the most heinous terror-related air disasters in the history of civil aviation,” the Consulate General posted on X.

The Indian mission has scheduled a memorial service on June 23 at the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park’s Ceperley Playground area. “The Consulate General encourages members of the Indian diaspora to join the event at Vancouver,” it said.

Meanwhile, Canada’s House of Commons observed a minute’s silence after Speaker Greg Fergus said, “There is an agreement to observe a moment of silence in memory of Nijjar, assassinated in Surrey, one year ago today.”