Ottawa/New Delhi
India said on Sunday (June 23) it was unfortunate that acts of glorifying terrorism had been allowed on many occasions in Canada. In a statement on the 39th anniversary of the 1985 Kanishka bombing, the Indian High Commission in Canada said that terrorism knows "no borders, nationality, or race".
The Montreal-New Delhi Air India 'Kanishka' Flight 182 exploded 45 minutes before it was to have landed at London's Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, including 86 children. Most of the victims were Canadians of Indian descent.
'Any act of glorifying terrorism is deplorable'
"While thirty-nine years have passed since the cowardly act, terrorism has unfortunately assumed proportions of an existential threat to international peace and security today," the high commission's statement said.
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"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 added.
Terming the Kanishka bombing "the worst ever in Canadian aviation history to date", the Indian mission said that the incident will remain an "unbearable loss" not only for the victims' families but also for humanity as a whole.
Canada honours Nijjar, New Delhi criticises
The high commission's remarks came a week after India strongly objected to the Canadian parliament observing a "one-minute silence" in memory of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in British Columbia in June last year.
Last Friday (June 21), New Delhi insisted that Ottawa must take action against those advocating violence and carrying out an anti-India campaign in Canada.
India also lodged a strong protest with Canada last Thursday over Khalistani extremists holding a so-called "citizens court" and burning an effigy of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver.