Premier PM Narendra Modi gave his first reaction to the claims of the United States about an Indian citizens role in a plot Khalistani terror suspect Gurpatwant Singh Pannun Modi said that the government would “look into” any evidence.
Ahead of an appearance on London-based The Financial Times, PM Modi added that the relationship between India and the US would not be shattered through “few incidents.”Premier PM Narendra Modi has said that India will “definitely look into” any evidence regarding its alleged connections to a plot to assassinate inside the US.
In November, the US accused an Indian man of a conspiracy to kill the Sikh rebel leader in New York.
PM Modi declared that If an Indian citizen has committed a crime, positive or negative, the government will be ready to investigate it. “Our commitment is to the rule of law,” Prime Minister Modi stated in the Financial Times.
He emphasized the fact that cooperation in counter-terrorism and security is a significant component of the relationship with India as well as the US.
“I don’t think it is appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic relations between the two countries,” this man has been reported in The Financial Times as saying. There is a strong bipartisan consensus in the direction of strengthening this partnership, which can be a good indicator of an established and stable collaboration,” the Prime Minister declared. The victim of the attempted assassination attempt, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, is a dual American-Canadian citizen and prominent advocate in the Khalistan movement that advocates for a distinct Sikh state.
US prosecutor’s office said that a man called Nikhil Gupta had paid $100,000 (PS79,000) in money to a hitman to murder Mr Pannun. The Indian o, an official of the government, in fact, directed the hitman.
India has labeled Mr. Pannun as a terrorist. However, Pannun denies this and claims to be an activist.
The allegations were made two months following the time that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of having ties to assassination of a different Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Najjar was killed outside the Sikh temple on June 18 in Canada.
India has denied all allegations and has accuses Canada of sheltering “Khalistani terrorists and extremists” that threaten India’s security.
Delhi has also repeatedly said that Ottawa still needs to provide specific evidence to support the assertion.
The diplomatic dispute has strained relations between Canada and India.
The Indian government has frequently reacted strongly to demands made by Sikh separatists from Western nations for Khalistan.
The Khalistan movement reached its peak in India during the 1980s when there was an insurgency that was violent and centered within the Sikh-majority Punjab state. It was crushed by force and does not influence India today. Yet, it remains popular with some members of the Sikh diaspora living in countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK.
Experts believe that the recent allegations of extra-judicial executions of Sikh separatists are likely to erode India’s relationship with the US, which has been steadily increasing.
However, Mr. Modi stated in the Financial Times that he feels sure about the future direction of the relationship.
The bipartisan community is in full support in the direction of strengthening the relationship. This indicates the stability and maturity of this relationship,” the president said.
We don’t consider it right to connect a few instances to diplomatic relations between these two nations,” he said.
The prosecutors had claimed that Czech authorities had detained and arrested Gupta on June 30 as per the treaty of bilateral extradition with the US and Czech Republic. Czech Republic.
He also mentioned that India was worried about concerns about the “activities of certain extremist groups based overseas.”
In the last month, The US Justice Department alleged that an Indian government official was the one who orchestrated the plot. The Justice Department also unveiled accusations made against a man who is suspected of orchestrating the attempted murder.
The Centre expressed concern over the connection and has removed itself from the plot, noting it will look into the claims that were raised by those in the United States and take necessary follow-up actions regarding the findings of a committee established on November 18.
US officials have identified those who are the targets of the murder attempt in the United States as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Sikh separatist who is a dual citizen of both the United States and Canada.
Pannun is the General Counsel for Sikhs for Justice, a group that the Centre declared the status of an “unlawful association” in 2019 and cited its involvement in terrorist activities. Then, in the year 2020, Pannun’s name was identified as an “individual terrorist.”
News of the US plot was announced two months ago. Canada declared that it was examining “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to the shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Sikh separatist from the Sikh separatist movement, in the Vancouver suburb.
The Centre has firmly rejected Ottawa’s allegations.
PM Modi declared that India and Washington have a “mature and stable partnership.”
“Security and counter-terrorism cooperation has been a key component of our partnership,” the president declared.