New Delhi, June 23 (UNI) Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri led the Indian delegation at Cork, Ireland, on the 40th anniversary remembrance to honour the memory of the 329 people killed in the horrific bombing of Air India Flight 182 Kanishka on June 23, 1985, carried out by Canada-based Khalistani separatists.

Besides, Union Minister Puri, the Indian delegation comprises Arvinder Singh Lovely, BJP MLA from Delhi, Baldev Singh Aulakh, Minister of State in the UP Government, Gurveer Singh Brar, BJP MLA from Rajasthan, Narinder Singh Raina, BJP MLA from Jammu and Kashmir, Trilok Singh Cheema, BJP MLA from Uttarakhand and Tarun Chug, National General Secretary, BJP. The Indian Ambassador ⁠Akhilesh Mishra was also present on the occasion.

The Prime Minister of Ireland Micheal Martin, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree and family members of the victims were also present.

Canada-based Khalistanis of the terror group Babbar Khalsa had planted a bomb on the Kanishka Air India flight which took off from Montreal to London, from where it was to fly onward to New Delhi and Mumbai. The bomb blew up the aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Ireland near Cork.

The remembrance was held at the Ahakista Memorial in Cork.

All the dignitaries and others gathered laid wreaths at the memorial site.

Of the 329 people killed, 268 were Canadian citizens, 27 were British citizens, and 22 were Indians

The tragedy is considered Canada’s deadliest terrorist attack.

Minister Puri said: “Terrorism and extremism remain a very real present-day threat. Whether the act was committed on 9/11, 26/11, or Pahalgam, the effects are exactly the same.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a post on X, said: “On the 40th anniversary of Air India 182 ‘Kanishka’ bombing, we honour the memory of the 329 lives lost in one of the worst acts of terrorism.

“A stark reminder of why the world must show zero tolerance towards terrorism and violent extremism.”

The Khalistani terrorists had planned a second bombing -- on Air India 301 from Narita International Airport, near Tokyo, to Delhi -- but the bomb, which had arrived in a suitcase on another flight, exploded in the baggage handling room.

For weeks prior to the bombing of Kanishka, Khalistanis had been calling for the boycott of Air India, as “something big would happen”.

UNI RN