Kanishka Bombing: Canadian Lawmaker Jagmeet Singh Expresses Condolences, Says 'We Will Not Let Hate Win'

Pro Khalistani Canadian lawmaker Jagmeet Singh on Sunday remembered the victims of the Air India Flight 182 ‘Kanishka’ bombing, in which 329 people lost their lives in 1985 and advocated working towards a “more peaceful world”. “We will not let hate win,” Singh wrote in an X post.

“39 years ago, 329 lives were lost in the Air India Bombing, and communities were forever changed. I extend my condolences to the families who lost loved ones. Today we remember those who were lost and honour their memory by working together to build a more peaceful world. We will not let hate win,” Singh said.

ALSO READ: Remembering Air India ‘Kanishka’ Bombing 39 Years Later: What Happened On June 23, 1985?

Who Is Jagmeet Singh?

An accomplished lawyer and a human rights activist, Jagmeet Singh is the leader of the NDP party. He had been practising as a criminal defence lawyer in Brampton before entering politics.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh supported Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the 2021 Canadian Federal Election to form the government. As per the agreement between the Trudeau-led Liberal Party and Singh-led NDP, Trudeau’s Liberals pledged support to the left-leaning NDP on various issues.

Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 Bombing on June 23, 1985

On June 23, 1985, a bomb exploded on Air India Flight 182, operating as ‘Kanishka’ while en route from Montreal to London. The blast killed all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians of Indian descent. The tragedy occurred 45 minutes before the aircraft was scheduled to land at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Who Was Responsible For Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 Bombing?

The bombing was attributed to Sikh extremists seeking retribution for “Operation Bluestar”, a military operation by the Indian government aimed at flushing out militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, in 1984. Members of the Sikh terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa had targeted the flight.