Canadian MP lambasts Khalistani extremists for promoting new conspiracy theories on Kanishka bombings

Ottawa: Canadian Member of Parliament Chandra Arya, a vocal critic of the Justin Trudeau government for giving refuge to pro-Khalistani elements in the country, has slammed a new petition initiated by Liberal Party MP Sukh Dhaliwal relating to the Air India Kanishka bombings of June 23, 1985, that left 329 people dead and was the worst tragedy in the history of aviation terror before the 9/11 attacks.

The petition, which is available on the Canadian parliament portal, called upon the Government of Canada to order a fresh inquiry into the Air India episode to determine whether any foreign intelligence was involved in the crime.

It mentions that the Sikhs in Canada widely believe that the bombings was the “handiwork of a foreign intelligence to discredit their political activism and undermine their advocacy work for human rights in India”.

Severely criticising the petition, Arya, who is of Indian origin, made a statement in the Parliament early Friday (India time), calling it as an attempt by the Khalistani extremists to promote new conspiracy theories.

“39 years back Air India Flight 182 was blown-up mid-air from a bomb planted by Canadian Khalistan extremists. It killed 329 people and is the largest mass killing in Canadian history. Even today, the ideology responsible for this terrorist attack is still alive among few people in Canada,” Arya said in his statement.

“Two Canadian public inquiries found Khalistan extremists responsible for the bombing of Air India flight. Now there is a petition on parliament portal asking for a new enquiry promoting conspiracy theories promoted by Khalistan extremists,” he added.

The Canadian MP then quoted Bal Gupta, whose wife Rama was killed in the attack, telling the Globe and Mail: “It’s deeply frustrating. It opens up old wounds all over again. It’s all garbage. It’s an attempt to gain publicity and support for terrorist activities”.

In July, as another Hindu temple in Alberta’s capital Edmonton was vandalised with hateful graffiti, Arya had emphasised the urgent need to rein in radicals before it was too late.

“The Hindu temple BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton is vandalized again. During the last few years, Hindu temples in the Greater Toronto Area, British Columbia and other places in Canada have been vandalized with hateful graffiti. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice last year publicly called for Hindus to go back to India,” the Indian-origin Canadian MP wrote on X.

Be it publicly celebrating in Brampton and Vancouver the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi or brandishing images of deadly weapons, Arya said that Khalistani extremists seem to “get away with ease” with their public rhetoric of hate and violence in Canada.

“Again, let me put it on record. Hindu-Canadians are legitimately concerned. Like a broken record, I again call on Canadian law enforcement agencies to take this issue seriously before these rhetorics get translated into physical action against Hindu-Canadians,” he said.

During his visit to India last month, Arya had held a meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and even called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that the Canada-India relationship remains “very important” for both countries.

India has repeatedly asserted that further deterioration in bilateral ties would eventually result in a big loss for Canada.

“Freedom of speech cannot be freedom to advocate violence, freedom of speech cannot be freedom to support separatism and terrorism in a foreign country. It cannot be… A group of Khalistanis have been misusing Canada’s freedom laws for years. But when the Canadian government has any political compulsions, they accommodate these people who are also their vote bank,” said Jaishankar a few months ago while speaking at the ‘Vishwabandhu Bharat’ interaction in Maharashtra’s Nashik.

“Our relations have been spoiled today because of the activities of these people who are even threatening our Ambassador and various diplomats posted in the country. They threw smoke bombs inside the High Commission and, at one time, our diplomats were facing great difficulty to get out of the building. People who supported terror activities against India have been given refuge in Canada. The government there should have a relook at the entire situation,” the EAM had added.

–IANS