Canada, where some pro-Khalistan groups are still active, on Friday pledged support for the unity and integrity of India.
“Canada overwhelmingly stands by the unity and integrity of India,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said during a reception hosted for his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
The assurance assumes significance as some pro-Khalistan groups are still active in Canada.
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Mr. Harper, who spent about 50 hours of his time with Modi travelling with him from Ottawa to Toronto to Vancouver, earlier accompanied the Indian leader during his to visit the Air India Memorial in Toronto to pay tributes to the 329 people, mostly of Indian-origin, killed in the Kanishka bombing in 1985.
The Montreal-New Delhi Air India ‘Kanishka’ Flight 182 exploded 45 minutes before it was to have landed at London’s Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985.
The bombing was blamed on Sikh militants in retaliation to Operation Blue Star to flush out militants from the Golden Temple in 1984.
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At the reception, Mr. Harper said that India and Canada are working together to meet security challenges, including terrorism.
Accompanied by his Canadian counterpart, Mr. Modi visited a gurdwara and a temple here and said Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life.
Addressing the gathering there, Mr. Modi said the Sikhs in Canada had won respect for India through their work here.
Subsequently, Mr. Modi and Mr. Harper went to the Lakshmi Narayan Temple where again he praised the Indians living in Canada.
The Prime Minister wrapped up his three-nation tour of France, Germany and Canada during which a number of important agreements were signed, including for the supply of 36 Rafale fighter jets by France and uranium from Canada.