Canadian Parliament observes Nijjar's death anniversary, India responds with memorial service for Kanishka flight bombing victims

The already strained Canada-India ties have hit another bump with the Canadian parliament observing a moment of silence in memory of India-designated Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in response to which the Indian Consulate General in Vancouver announced a memorial service for the 329 victims of the bombing of Air India Kanishka flight in 1985 by Sikh separatists.

The Canadian Parliament observed a moment of silence in memory of Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia last year on June 18. The Justin Trudeau-led Canadian government has alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in the killing. New Delhi has, however, rubbished the allegations, calling them motivated and absurd.

Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating the murder of Nijjar and four Indian nationals have been arrested so far. 45-year-old Nijjar's killing had sparked a massive diplomatic row between the two nations with both of them expelling diplomats of the other country.

India Consulate General in Vancouver has announced a memorial service marking "the 39th Anniversary of the cowardly terrorist bombing of Air India flight 182 (Kanishka)".

"India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat. 23 June 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.

"A Memorial Service is scheduled at 1830 hrs on June 23, 2024, at the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park's Ceperley Playground area. @cgivancouver encourages members of the Indian Diaspora to join the event in a show of solidarity against terrorism. @HCI_Ottawa," it added.

In one of the worst incidents of aviation terrorism, the Canadian Sikh terrorists had planted a bomb on the Air India flight traveling from Montreal to London on June 23, 1985, which blew up 31,000 feet above the ground.
329 passengers on board were killed in the incident which included 268 Canadian citizens, 27 British citizens, and 24 Indian citizens.

The recent development comes days after Prime Minister Modi and Justin Trudeau met in Italy during the G7 Summit. After the brief meeting, the Canadian Prime Minister said there is an "alignment" on several "big issues" with India and he sees an "opportunity" to engage with the new government.

Earlier, Trudeau's office had also issued a congratulatory statement on Modi's third consecutive historic win on becoming India's prime minister.

"I'm not going to get into the details of this important, sensitive issue that we need to follow up, but this was a commitment to work together, in the coming times, to deal with some very important issues," Trudeau was quoted as saying after the G7 summit.

PM Modi had also posted an image on social media of him shaking hands with Trudeau which was the first meeting between the two leaders since diplomatic ties were soured in the wake of Nijjar's killing.

While India has consistently pointed out the space given to separatists and anti-India elements in Canada, the Canadian government has maintained a soft stance on the Khalistan issue.

Canadian PM, accused of appeasing pro-Khalistan sentiments, has also attended events in the past where pro-Khalistan slogans were raised.

This appeasement is seen as part of Canada's vote bank politics where politicians are reluctant to confront the Khalistan movement. Despite India's repeated warnings to Canada against platforming Khalistan separatists, its government seems unwilling to crackdown on these elements, further straining the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the US recently extradited Nikhil Gupta, a 53-year-old Indian national who is accused of being an agent of government of India involved in a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based Sikh separatist and lawyer.

Pannun was the target of a foiled assassination plot in the United States in June last year.

Although that plot was thwarted, Pannun's associate Nijjar, was killed in British Columbia, prompting a public accusation of India’s involvement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and vigorous denials from India, said an official statement by the US Justice Department.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) has said “it will not tolerate attempts by foreign nationals to repress constitutionally-protected freedoms in the United States," alleging the involvement of an Indian government employee in the unsuccessful assassination plot.