Honouring the death anniversary of terrorist and Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian parliament observed a minute of silence on Wednesday.
On the other hand, in response to the Canadian government honouring Nijjar, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver will be holding a memorial service at the Air India Memorial in Stanley Park’s Ceperley Playground area on June 23.
A Memorial Service is scheduled at 1830 hrs on June 23, 2024 at the Air India Memorial at Stanley Park’s Ceperley Playground area. @cgivancouver encourages members of the Indian Diaspora to join the event in a show of solidarity against terrorism. (3/3) @HCI_Ottawa pic.twitter.com/oQrr7ggomA
— India in Vancouver (@cgivancouver) June 18, 2024
As part of a “solidarity against terrorism” initiative, a memorial service will commemorate the 38th anniversary of the 1985 terrorist attack on Air India flight 182, which had deeply impacted the country and led to significant loss of lives.
In 2020, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) labelled Nijjar as a terrorist. He was fatally shot outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.
This incident resulted in escalated tensions between India and Canada, especially following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement suggesting the possible involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing.
Four Indian nationals – Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22), Karanpreet Singh (28), and Amandeep Singh (22) – have been arrested by Canada in connection with the murder.
India has refuted Trudeau’s allegations, describing Nijjar as a Khalistani separatist wanted in India for various terrorism-related charges.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar criticized the Canadian government for allowing political space to Khalistani separatist elements, suggesting that it prioritizes its vote bank over the rule of law.
