India on Saturday “deeply appreciated” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s formal apology in the House of Commons for the Komagata Maru incident, saying it reflects Canada’s commitment to the values of pluralism which India fully shares.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said, “We welcome and deeply appreciate the gesture of Prime Minister of Canada to deliver a formal apology in the House of Commons for the Komagata Maru incident.”

The Indian diaspora in Canada has contributed immensely to Canada’s growth and development and acts as a bond between our two nations, the spokesperson said.

“Prime Minister Trudeau’s gesture constitutes an acknowledgement of the positive role of the Indian diaspora.

It also reflects Canada’s commitment to the values of pluralism and multiculturalism, which India fully shares,” he added.

On May 23, 1914, a Japanese steamship, Komagata Maru, carrying 376 passengers — majority of whom were of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu origin — was denied entry into Canada after an immigration dispute, only for some to be killed in protests on their return to India.

Earlier this week, the Canadian Prime Minister delivered a formal statement of apology in the House of Commons and said, “More than a century