Minister Puri calls for deeper collaboration with Canada on dismantling terrorism

Mint

3 hours ago

New Delhi: India's petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday called for deeper collaboration with Canada to dismantle terrorism and mitigate the risks of radicalization, speaking at the 40th anniversary memorial of the Air India Flight 182 (Kanishka) bombing in Ahakista, Cork, Ireland.
Air India Flight 182 was destroyed mid-air by a bomb planted by Canada-based terrorists, killing all 329 on board, including over 80 children, on 23 June 1985.
Puri described the tragedy as not an accident but a 'deliberate, heinous act carried out by fringe elements seeking to divide India.'
Terrorism and extremism are modern-day threats, Puri said, urging India and Canada to work in tandem through intelligence sharing, counter-radicalisation efforts, and the disruption of terror financing, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MoPNG) said in a statement.
'India has suffered the scourge of terrorism for decades — from Jammu & Kashmir to Punjab to Mumbai. Time and again, our people have endured bombings, assassinations, and atrocities,' he said. "Let today's commemoration be a united message—those who spread hate and terror will never prevail over humanity, democracy, and friendship.'
Puri also noted that in the aftermath of the tragedy, India and Ireland have developed strong bilateral ties, with trade reaching nearly $16 billion in 2023.
He said Indian agencies are working continuously to dismantle terror fronts, with the help of global partners. 'India stands ready to do more. Our security agencies, intelligence apparatus, and diplomatic channels are fully committed to partnering with the world to ensure that such tragedies are never repeated," he said.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Canadian Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree, local Irish officials, first responders, and families of victims were present at the memorial, the MoPNG statement said.
The statement comes days after prime minister Narendra Modi's remarks at the G7 summit in Canada earlier this month, calling on all countries to unite against terrorism. Modi had said last week that the Pahalgam terror attack in April was not just an attack on India, but on all humanity.
In his address on 17 June, he also called for strict action against those nations that support terrorist outfits.
The Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April claimed the lives of 26 tourists in Jammu & Kashmir.
In retaliation, India launched 'Operation Sindoor', a counterterrorism operation targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of 7 May. Pakistan's military responded by targeting civilian and military infrastructure in India, escalating the conflict, according to multiple briefing by military and external affairs ministry officials.
The fighting between India and Pakistan lasted four days, until 10 May, when military officials from both sides negotiated a ceasefire.
However, Operation Sindoor remains ongoing, according to PM Modi, who announced a new counterterrorism doctrine for India. In his 12 May address to the nation, Modi said India will retaliate against terrorist attacks on its own terms, will not tolerate nuclear blackmail, and will make no distinction between terrorists and the governments that harbour them.