Ottawa:

A prominent Canadian MP of Indian origin has criticised a petition seeking a fresh inquiry into the bombing of Air India Flight 182 of 1985 to determine the involvement of any “foreign intelligence”, alleging that it promotes “conspiracy theories” of Khalistani extremists.

The Montreal-New Delhi Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 exploded 45 minutes before it was supposed to land at London’s Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians of Indian descent.

The bombing was blamed on Sikh extremists in retaliation to ‘Operation Bluestar’ to flush out militants from the Golden Temple in 1984.

Addressing the Parliament on Thursday, Chandra Arya, a Member of Parliament from Nepean in the House of Commons, noted that two Canadian public inquiries found Khalistani extremists responsible for the bombing of Air India flight.

Calling the bombing the “largest mass killing” in Canadian history, Mr Arya said, “Even today, the ideology responsible for this terrorist attack is still alive among (a) few people in Canada.”

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

Quoting Bal Gupta, whose wife was killed in this attack, Mr Arya said,” 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.”

The petition calls for the Canadian government to order a fresh inquiry into the Kanishka bombing to determine whether any “foreign intelligence was involved” in it.

Last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.

New Delhi rejected Mr Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”.

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.

Nijjar, who was declared a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia on June 18 last year. The murder is being probed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandra Arya. File
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

A prominent Canadian MP of Indian origin on July 24 said the country was being “polluted” by Khalistani extremists who were “abusing” the freedoms guaranteed under the Charter of Rights, days after a Hindu temple was vandalised in Edmonton.

Amidst rising Hinduphobia in Canada, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir was vandalised with alleged hateful and anti-India graffiti on Monday morning in Edmonton in Alberta state, about 3,400 km west-northwest of Ottawa.

Chandra Arya, a Member of Parliament from Nepean in the House of Commons, said in a post on his X account that separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice released a video demanding that Mr. Arya and his Hindu-Canadian friends go back to India after he (Mr. Arya) condemned the vandalism of the Hindu temple and other acts of hate and violence by Khalistan supporters in Canada.

“We Hindus have come to our wonderful country Canada from all parts of the world. From every country in South Asia, many countries in Africa and Caribbean, and many other parts of the world, we have come here and Canada is our land,” Mr. Arya, a member of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party, wrote.

“We have made and continue to make immense positive and productive contributions to the socio-economic development of Canada. With our long history of Hindu culture and heritage, we have enriched the multicultural fabric of Canada,” he said.

“Our land is being polluted by Khalistani extremists abusing our freedoms guaranteed by our Canadian Charter of Rights,” Mr. Arya added.

Mr. Arya’s statement comes against the backdrop of severe strain in India-Canada ties over the killing of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia, in June last year.

The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Mr. Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing.

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity. India has repeatedly conveyed its “deep concerns” to Canada and New Delhi expects Ottawa to take strong action against those elements.

Meanwhile, the vandalism at the BAPS temple was criticised by other local elected representatives too.

The Consulate General of India in Vancouver had said in a post on X on Tuesday: “We condemn the defacing of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in #Edmonton with anti-India graffiti. We have requested the Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators.” However, there has been no reaction as yet from the BAPS – the Bochasanwasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation that runs the temple.

Chandra Arya. File
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Amid a diplomatic row between India and Canada, an Indo-Canadian lawmaker from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s party has expressed dismay at the “glorification of terrorism” and hate crime targeting Hindus in this country in the name of “freedom of expression”.

The sharp reaction from Chandra Arya, who represents the riding of Nepean in the House of Commons of Canada, came as extremist elements backed by a leader of the Khalistan movement openly asked Hindu Canadians to go back to India.

“A few days back Khalistan movement leader in Canada and the president of Sikhs for Justice which organises the so-called referendum Gurpatwant Singh Pannun attacked Hindu Canadians asking us to leave Canada and go back to India,” Chandra Arya, a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, said.

“I have heard from many Hindu-Canadians who are fearful after this targeted attack. I urge Hindu-Canadians to stay calm but vigilant. Please report any incident of Hinduphobia to your local law enforcement agencies,” the Indo-Canadian MP posted on X.

“The Khalistan movement leader is trying to provoke Hindu Canadians to react and divide the Hindu and Sikh communities in Canada,” Mr. Arya said.

His remarks came after Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations of “potential” involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June in Surrey unleashed a diplomatic row between the two nations.

India has rejected the charges as “absurd” and “motivated” and kicked out a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official.

“Let me be clear. The vast majority of our Canadian Sikh brothers and sisters do not support the Khalistan movement. Most Sikh Canadians may not publicly condemn the Khalistan movement for several reasons, but they are deeply connected to the Hindu-Canadian community. Canadian Hindus and Sikhs are connected through family relationships and shared social and cultural ties,” Mr. Arya said.

“This direct attack on Hindu Canadians by the leader of the Canadian Khalistan movement is a further escalation of the recent attacks on Hindu temples and public celebration of the assassination of Hindu Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by terrorists,” he added.

“Canada has high moral values and we fully uphold the rule of law. I can’t understand how glorification of terrorism or a hate crime targeting a religious group is allowed in the name of freedom of speech and expression,” Mr. Arya said.

“There would be outrage in Canada if a white supremacist attacked any group of racialised Canadians asking them to get out of our country. But apparently, this Khalistani leader can get away with this hate crime,” he said.

“Hindu Canadians keep a low profile and are considered soft targets. The anti-Hindu elements cannot digest the success of Hindu Canadians,” Mr. Arya said.

“Two well-organised groups claiming to represent their faiths have been attacking Hindu-Canadian community leaders, Hindu organisations and even me. For more than ten months, I have been attacked for raising a flag with our Hindu religious sacred symbol Aum on our Parliament Hill,” Mr. Arya alleged.

“I again call upon Hindu Canadians to stay calm but vigilant. As Canadians, we can be proud of our Hindu faith and heritage and our impressive contribution to the socio-economic success of our country Canada,” he added.