India's Kanishka memorial comeback after Canada Parliament's moment of silence for Nijjar

Relations between India and Canada have been strained since the alleged assassination of Nijjar in June 2023 in British Columbia, Canada.

After Canada's Parliament marked the one-year anniversary of the Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar death by holding a moment of silence, the Indian Consulate General in Vancouver announced a memorial service to honour the 329 victims of the Khalistani bombing of Air India Kanishka flight in 1985.

"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.

India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat. (1/3)

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— India in Vancouver (@cgivancouver) June 18, 2024

Relations between India and Canada have been strained since the alleged assassination of Nijjar in June 2023 in British Columbia, Canada.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told CBC News that Narendra Modi's continuation as Prime Minister of India is an “opportunity” to engage on various significant matters. “Now that he's been re-elected, I believe there's an opportunity for us to engage, particularly on critical issues related to national security, ensuring the safety of Canadians, and upholding the rule of law,” he said.

On 23 June 1985, an Air India flight travelling from Canada to India via London, exploded off the Irish coast, killing all 329 people on board. It was caused by a bomb in a suitcase that was transferred to the flight even though the ticket holder had not boarded. The victims included 268 Canadian citizens, mostly of Indian origin, and 24 Indians. Only 131 bodies were retrieved from the sea.

Canadian investigators alleged that the bombings were planned by Sikh separatists who wanted to take revenge for the Indian army's deadly 1984 storming of the Golden Temple in Punjab state.