Radical pro-Khalistan posters glorifying the 1985 Air India bombing plotter have been spotted at rallies in Canada over the weekend, as Canadians marked the 38th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.
The incident has raised concerns from India, further straining relations between Canada and its ally as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces accusations of tolerating extreme Sikh separatism within the nation’s borders.
The rally which was scheduled for June 25, featured posters honouring “martyr” and terrorist Talwinder Singh Parmar as well as demanding an investigation into “India’s role in the 1985 Kanishka bombing.”
Former CBC reporter Terry Milewski and author of “Blood for Blood – Fifty Years of the Global Khalistan Project” took to Twitter to condemn the event.
Milewski also rejected the demand to investigate India’s role in the 1986 Kanishka bombing, accusing the rally of spreading misinformation about the incident.
According to the outlet OpIndia, the posters displaying Parmar as a hero were seen in multiple locations, including in Toronto.
The group behind the incident announced a car rally that commenced at The Great Punjab Business Centre in Malton and concluded at the Air India 182 Memorial in Humber Bay Park West.
The Air India Flight 182 bombing, which occurred on June 23, 1985, resulted in the tragic loss of all 329 passengers and crew members, including Canadian citizens, aboard the flight. The investigation into this horrific act led to the arrest and charge of Parmar, though prosecutors later withdrew charges.
This terrorist attack remains etched in the memories of Canadians as the single worst terrorist attack in the nation’s history, as acknowledged by the Trudeau government during a commemorative event held earlier this month.
The recent pro-Khalistan activities in Canada have been a cause for concern, with India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar issuing a warning to the Canadian government earlier this month concerning the celebration of the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Khalistani extremists.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs recently also summoned Canada’s High Commissioner in March to express concerns over similar protests in British Columbia.
“It is expected that the Canadian government will take all steps which are required to ensure the safety of our diplomats and security of our diplomatic premises so that they are able to fulfil their normal diplomatic functions,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
“The high commissioner of Canada was summoned yesterday to convey our strong concern about the actions of separatist and extremist elements against our diplomatic Mission and Consulates in Canada this week.”
