In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India is open to investigating any evidence provided regarding its alleged links to an assassination plot in the United States. The remarks come in the wake of US charges against an Indian man accused of conspiring to murder a Sikh separatist leader in New York.
In November, the US charged an Indian individual with plotting the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen and vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement, which advocates for a separate Sikh state. Mr. Modi assured that these allegations would not impact the diplomatic ties between India and the US, emphasizing India’s commitment to the rule of law.
“This is the first time he has spoken publicly about the issue. ‘If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law,’ the prime minister told the newspaper,” the Financial Times reported. Pannun, the target of the alleged plot, denies being a terrorist and claims to be an activist.
US prosecutors asserted that a man named Nikhil Gupta had paid $100,000 in cash to a hitman to assassinate Pannun, allegedly under the direction of an Indian government official. India, however, has strongly denied these allegations, with a diplomatic row already ongoing due to accusations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding India’s links to the murder of another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The diplomatic tensions between India and Canada have escalated, with India denying the allegations and accusing Canada of providing shelter to “Khalistani terrorists and extremists.” Trudeau, in an interview with CBC, explained that he went public with the accusations against India to deter any alleged agents planning further attacks in Canada.
The recent accusations have the potential to strain India’s ties with the US, which have been steadily growing. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence in the upward trajectory of the relationship, highlighting strong bipartisan support and characterizing the partnership as mature and stable. He acknowledged concerns about the activities of certain extremist groups based overseas, emphasizing the need for collective efforts to address such challenges. Source – BBC
