'Any act glorifying terrorism ...': India targets Canada over Air India Kanishka bombing

NEW DELHI: On the 39th anniversary of the Air India flight 'Kanishka' bombing, the Indian High Commission in Canada paid homage to the victims of the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of over 329 people.
The High Commission issued a statement condemning the act and expressed disappointment that such actions are "allowed to be routine in Canada".
"Any act of glorifying terrorism, including the bombing of Al-182 in 1985, is deplorable and should be condemned by all peace-loving countries and people. It is unfortunate that such actions are allowed to be routine on many occasions in Canada," it said in a statement.
The statement emphasized the tragedy as the worst in Canadian aviation history and an unbearable loss for the victims' families and humanity as a whole.
The Air India flight, traveling from Canada to India via London on June 23, 1985, exploded off the Irish coast, resulting in the deaths of all passengers and crew on board. The explosion was caused by a bomb hidden in a suitcase that had been transferred onto the flight despite the ticket holder not boarding.
The victims included 268 Canadian citizens, mostly of Indian descent, and 24 Indian nationals. Only 131 bodies were recovered from the sea, and despite ongoing efforts, only bombmaker Inderjit Singh Reyat has been convicted in connection with the tragedy.
The consulate also held a memorial service on June 23 at the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park in Vancouver. The service took place amid strained relations between India and Canada over the issue of Khalistan terrorists, particularly after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of potential Indian involvement in the killing of designated Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has dismissed these allegations as absurd and motivated, maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is Canada's tolerance of pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil.