Canada Heightens Security For Air India Flights After SFJ Leader Boycott Call

Canada has heightened security measures for Air India flights operating to and from its airports. Later, law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the matter and treating it with the utmost seriousness.

These developments stem from a video posted by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) on Saturday. In the video, SFJ's general counsel, Gurpatwant Pannun, in Punjabi, cautioned Sikhs not to fly with Air India after November 19, as he expressed concerns about their safety. This statement was reiterated twice in the video. In an accompanying statement, Pannun called for a 'Global blockade' of the airline's services from Vancouver to London. In a subsequent statement on Thursday, Pannun clarified that he was "calling for a boycott" of the airline rather than issuing a threat.

A senior Indian official confirmed to the Hindustan Times on Thursday that the Canadian Government had responded to the request for heightened security measures for Air India flights.

In a statement to the Globe and Mail, a spokesperson for Canada's Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, emphasized the Canadian government's unwavering commitment to treating any aviation threat with the utmost seriousness. They mentioned that they are closely examining recent online threats in collaboration with their security partners.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Star reported that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is actively investigating the threat. An RCMP spokesperson stated, "The RCMP takes all threats to national security very seriously, including threats made online."

India's High Commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, issued a statement, characterizing Pannun's statement as having "serious criminal intent" and being subject to legal consequences in all jurisdictions. He stressed that Canada should take this matter into account.

However, Pannun has denied any intention of inciting violence in the video. He clarified, "There is no threat." He acknowledged the RCMP's authority to investigate potential terror threats and expressed his willingness to let them investigate if calling for a boycott of Air India is perceived as an act of civil disobedience or a movement, even though it targets Indian businesses.

Air India operates multiple weekly non-stop flights between the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver and New Delhi.

The targeting of Air India evokes memories of the events leading up to the most tragic act of terrorism in Canadian history. On June 23, 1985, Khalistani terrorists bombed Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, resulting in the loss of 329 lives. Additionally, two baggage handlers at Tokyo's Narita airport lost their lives due to an explosion from another bomb on a separate aircraft.

This tragic day continues to be commemorated in Canada as the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism. Extremist groups still hold in esteem the individual considered to be the mastermind behind the attack, Talwinder Singh Parmar. In fact, in June of this year, pro-Khalistan elements organized a rally in his memory at the memorial for the victims of the Air India terror attack in Toronto.