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After Canada, US accuses India of plotting to assassinate Sikh terrorist
U.S. warned India of its involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organization on American soil
Sikhs for Justice Leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun /
Amid the ongoing diplomatic tussle between India and Canada over the assassination of a Khalistani extremist, the United States has now issued a “diplomatic warning” to New Delhi over its involvement in an “assassination attempt” on Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
U.S. officials were informed of a conspiracy to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organization, according to a report in the Financial Times. Pannun, who hails from Punjab, is now an American-Canadian citizen and is designated as a terrorist in India for his involvement in SFJ.
The FT report also claims that the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed a sealed indictment in a New York court against one of the accused in the conspiracy.
Reacting to the report, Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, told VOA News that concerns regarding the matter have been conveyed to Indian officials and that it was being treated with utmost seriousness.
She stated that the Indian side expressed "surprise and concern" to hear of the accusations but maintained that “activity of this nature was not their policy."
“Based on discussion with senior U.S. government officials, we understand the Indian government is further investigating this issue and will have more to say about it in the coming days. We have conveyed our expectation that anyone deemed responsible should be held accountable,” Watson was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the US had “shared some inputs pertaining to the nexus between organised criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others. India takes such inputs seriously since it impinges on our own national security interests as well.” He made no comment or reference to Pannun.
The recent accusations surfaced some two months after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India was behind the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June this year. The U.S. had urged to cooperate on the investigation into Nijjar’s death, while offering to help Canada with the probe.
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