“Garbage” Says Canadian MP On Petition For Probe Into Kanishka Bombing

OTTAWA, (ANI) – Canadian MP Chandra Arya 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 Parliament on September 26, Arya, 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, 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, Arya said,” It’s deeply frustrating. It opens 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.