The Canadian Parliament on Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar by observing a minute of silence in the House of Commons.

In response to Canada’s “moment of silence”, the Indian Consulate General in Vancouver has announced a memorial service to honour the 329 people killed in the Khalistani bombing of an Air India Kanishka aircraft in 1985.

The memorial service will be held at 6.30pm on Sunday at Ceperley Playground in Stanley Park.

The Indian Consulate General said, “India is at the forefront in combating the threat of terrorism and works closely with all countries to combat this global menace. June 23, 2024 marks the 39th anniversary of the cowardly terrorist attack on Air India Flight 182 (Kanishka), which claimed the lives of 329 innocent people, including 86 children. It was one of the most heinous terrorism-related air accidents in the history of civil aviation.”

Nijjar, the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in a targeted firing outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada on June 18 last year. His name was on a list released by the Indian government along with 40 other ‘designated terrorists’.

Four Indian nationals, including Karan Brar, Amandeep Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh, are accused of killing Nijjar.

The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in which Canada has claimed the Indian government had a role, has become a thorn in bilateral relations.

However, earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy. Speaking about the meeting, Trudeau said he saw an “opportunity” to hold talks with the new government, including on economic ties and national security.

Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?

Nijjar’s refugee claim was rejected after he fled to Canada under a false passport in 1997, after which he married a woman who sponsored him for immigration, which was also rejected, Global reported.

However, shortly after his death, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called him a Canadian citizen in Parliament.

According to security agencies, Nijjar was recruiting and training people for the banned terrorist organization KTF. He was also part of the separatist organization Sikh of Justice, which held the Khalistan referendum on September 10.

India has raised its concerns about Nijjar’s activities several times in the past few years. In 2018, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh handed over a list of wanted persons with Nijjar’s name to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In 2022, the Punjab Police had sought the extradition of Nijjar as he was wanted in cases of spreading terrorism in the state.

He was wanted in various cases, including the 2017 Ludhiana blast in which six people lost their lives and 42 were injured.

Earlier, Punjab Police had registered a case against Nijjar for his alleged role in the bomb blast near a temple in Patiala.