The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has directly accused Khalistani terrorists operating out of the country of installing an explosive device on Air India Flight 182. The acknowledgement happened for the first time ever on the anniversary of the attack, which occurred 40 years ago on 23rd June 1985.
“On this National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism, CSIS remembers the 329 people on Air India Flight 182 who lost their lives due to a heinous act of terror. On June 23, 1985, a bomb planted by Canada‑based Khalistani extremists destroyed the aircraft, killing everyone on board, most of them Canadians. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canada’s history and a defining moment for our national security community,” the agency conveyed in a post on special media.
“CSIS was less than a year old at the time, and the tragedy shaped our evolution. Over the past four decades, we have remained committed to protecting Canadians from political, religious, and ideologically motivated violence,” the commemoration statement by Ottawa’s premier intelligence agency further read.
Canada has traditionally refrained from mentioning the separatist movement in its public memorials, but India has repeatedly highlighted that the tragedy was a result of a Khalistani conspiracy. Notably, the CIA published its yearly report identifying Khalistani radicals as a serious threat to national security recently and decided to specifically blame them.
The agency cautioned that Canada-based Khalistani extremist (CBKE) organisations with headquarters inside the nation are actively exploiting its territory to “promote their violent extremist agenda” and to finance and plot “violent activities.” The Khalistani issue has been a constant source of contention between Canada and India throughout successive governments, especially that of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
His government even accused New Delhi of killing were Canadian residents in a violent transnational campaign. Trudeau even used “credible allegations” to hit out at Modi government over the murder of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. However, this policy has undergone a significant shift following his removal from office.
All of the passengers and crew on board the plane Kanishka had perished in the blast over the Atlantic Ocean, which was caused by a bomb concealed in the luggage compartment. Terrorists belonging to the outlawed Khalistani group Babbar Khalsa behind the assault. Canada formally declared the fateful day to be the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism in 2005.
