Posters of pro-Khalistan rally glorifying 1985 Air India bombing accused go up in Canada

Posters of a pro-Khalistan rally, glorifying Talwinder Parmar - the alleged mastermind of the 1985 Air India bombing, were seen across several places in Canada.

The poster referred to the separatist leader as 'Shaheed Bhai Talwinder Parmar' and advertised a car rally, scheduled for June 25 (Sunday), at 12.30 pm (local time).

Further, the poster sought an investigation into "India's role in 1985 Kanishka bombing".

The development comes amid pro-Khalistan attacks on the Indian High Commission in Canada, other than in the UK and the US.

Taking to Twitter, Terry Milewski, retired CBC correspondent and author of "Blood for Blood - Fifty Years of the Global Khalistan Project", said Canadian Khalistanis have again picked as their poster boy, the psychopath who bombed Air India - Talwinder Parmar.

"Ensuring that their reputation stays at rock-bottom, Canadian Khalistanis again pick as their poster boy the psychopath who bombed Air India, Talwinder Parmar. He murdered 331 innocents for nothing. And - a grotesque twist - he'll be honoured at the memorial to his victims," Terry Milewski wrote on Twitter.

In a series of tweets, the author said, "It's another mad bid to whitewash Canada's worst-ever mass-murderer by demanding that Canada "investigate India's role" in the bombing. But decades of investigations proved that India had no such role and that Parmar led the bomb plot. The rally is about spreading a lie."

1985 AIR INDIA BOMBING AND INVESTIGATION

On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182, carrying 329 passengers and crew members, was blown mid-air off the coast of Ireland while en route from Toronto to London. The bombing resulted in the loss of all lives on board. As per initial speculation, Sikh extremists were accused of sabotaging the flight and one suspect was convicted in 2003.

The sequence of events began when Canadian officials discovered three suspicious packages during a routine stop in Montreal. The packages were subsequently removed from the aircraft before it continued its journey to London.

Approximately 45 minutes before reaching its destination, the plane disintegrated mid-air without any warning or distress calls being issued.

Following the disappearance of the aircraft from radar screens, emergency rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene. However, no survivors were found. The rescue teams managed to recover 131 bodies from the sea.

 Airline officials initially suspected Sikh extremists of planting a bomb on the Air India flight. Subsequently, two suspects were arrested two months after the tragic incident.

Canadian police alleged that Talwinder Singh Parmar was the mastermind behind the attack. However, charges against him were dropped. Parmar was later killed by the police in India.

The other suspect, Inderjit Singh Reyat, a Sikh residing in Vancouver, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the bombing.

In 2003, Reyat was sentenced to five years in prison.

It is worth noting that Reyat had previously received a 10-year prison sentence for his involvement in building a bomb that killed two baggage handlers at Japan's Narita Airport on the same day as the Flight 182 disaster.

Two additional suspects, Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, were arrested in 2000, but they were acquitted in 2005 due to insufficient evidence.

In 2006, a Canadian commission was established to conduct an inquiry into the Air India Flight 182 bombing.

The commission released a five-volume report in 2010, which concluded that the disaster was the result of a "cascading series of errors."

The report specifically highlighted the failure of Canadian intelligence and security agencies to share crucial information with one another and their engagement in "turf wars."

HOW CANADIAN PM TRUDEAU DESCRIBED 1985 AIR INDIA BOMBING

In 2018, 33 years after the 1985 Air India bombing, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the incident as the "single worst terrorist attack" in the country's history, as he paid tributes to the 329 victims.

"On this day in 1985, Canadians awoke to news that defied belief, and left our country in a state of shock and suffering," Trudeau said, marking the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism in Canada.

"The Air India bombing remains the single worst terrorist attack in Canada's history. This horrific act of malice and destruction left families and friends grieving the loss of loved ones, and brought pain that will never completely go away," the prime minister said.

 "In times of tragedy and testing, Canadians have shown that the values which bring us together - inclusion, compassion, justice, and equality - are much stronger than the forces that try, and fail, to wedge us apart," Trudeau said.

"Terrorists believe, through cowardly and violent acts, that they can make us question not only our safety, but the democratic institutions that keep us safe. They are wrong. Canadians are for facts and diversity, not fear and division. Our society thrives on inclusivity, and these acts only strengthen our resolve for unity," Trudeau said.

He said, "Canada condemns all forms of terrorism. We stand in solidarity with our allies, and the international community, in the ongoing fight to prevent radicalization and fight terrorism at home and abroad".

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I extend my condolences to everyone everywhere who has lost loved ones to terrorism. We also thank and honour those who work each day to keep our citizens, communities, and country safe," he said, referring to several terror attacks across the world.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/1985-air-india-bombing-mastermind-talwinder-parmar-posters-canada-pro-khalistan-rally-2394177-2023-06-17