Canada's intelligence agency, CSIS, has placed the blame on Khalistani extremists for the 1985 Air India bombing, which remains the deadliest terrorist attack in the country's history.
The bombing of Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, killed 329 people, most of whom were Canadians.
CSIS stated that the agency was less than a year old at the time and that the tragedy shaped its evolution.
The agency has continued to warn about the threat posed by Canada-based Khalistani extremists in its annual reports, with the 2025 report stating that ongoing involvement in violent extremist activities continues to pose a national security threat to Canada.
Some Khalistani extremists were found to be well-connected to Canadian citizens who leverage Canadian institutions to promote their violent extremist agenda and collect funds from unsuspecting community members.
The Hindu Canadian Foundation welcomed the CSIS statement, calling for the designation of Khalistani extremists as a terrorist entity to safeguard Canadians.
