Union Ministers S Jaishankar and Hardeep Singh Puri paid tributes to the memory of over 300 victims of bombing of the Air India 'Kanishka' flight on its 39th anniversary Sunday.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said on X, "Today is the 39th anniversary of one of the most horrific terrorist atrocities in history." I pay tribute to the 329 victims of AI 182 ‘Kanishka’ who lost their lives on this day in 1985. My heart goes out to their families. This anniversary serves as a stark reminder that terrorism must never be tolerated.”
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, also shared his tribute on X, posting images of his homage.
He commented, “My tribute to the 329 victims of Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182. The bombing on June 23, 1985, remains one of the most despicable acts of terror against India.”
Puri further criticized the extremist ideology behind such attacks, saying, “Such actions rooted in extremism have no place in a rational and civilized world. Sadly, the attitudes and systems that allowed the Kanishka bombing and subsequent terrorist acts continue to exist, violating international norms and commitments to combat violent extremism and terrorism.”
The Air India Flight 182, which was traveling from Montreal to New Delhi, exploded 45 minutes before its scheduled landing at Heathrow Airport, London, on June 23, 1985.
All 329 passengers and crew on board, mostly Canadians of Indian descent, perished.
The bombing was linked to Sikh militants, who were believed to be retaliating against ‘Operation Bluestar,’ a 1984 Indian Army operation aimed at expelling armed terrorists from the Golden Temple.
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