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Topline
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government will examine evidence alleging an Indian official was involved in a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on U.S. soil, in an interview with the Financial Times, while insisting that ties between New Delhi and Washington are unaffected.
File Photo: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says his government will look into allegations of an … [+]
Key Facts
In a rare interview with a foreign media outlet published Wednesday, Modi said if provided with information, India will “definitely look into” the matter, adding “our commitment is to the rule of law.”
Modi’s comments were in response to charges filed by the Justice Department last month alleging the involvement of an Indian national and an Indian government official in an attempt to assassinate American Sikh political activist and lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Without naming Pannun—who has been designated a terrorist by New Delhi—the Indian prime minister said his government was “deeply concerned” about the activities of “extremist groups based overseas.”
Modi then alleged these groups were engaging in intimidation and inciting violence “under the guise of freedom of expression.”
Despite the allegations, the Indian leader insisted that the U.S. and India’s bilateral relationship was stable and strong.
Crucial Quote
“There is strong bipartisan support for the strengthening of this relationship, which is a clear indicator of a mature and stable partnership…I don’t think it is appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic relations between the two countries,” Modi said.
Key Background
Late last month, the DOJ charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta for allegedly being involved in a foiled assassination plot targeting Pannun on the instruction of an Indian government official. Court documents filed by the DOJ claim Gupta agreed to a $100,000 deal to hire a hit man to carry out the killing in New York City. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in late June and extradited to the U.S. The DOJ’s filing does not directly name the Indian government employee or the agency they worked for. Pannum, an Indian-born dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, is a prominent leader of the Sikh separatist movement in North America. The movement calls for forming Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland carved from Indian territory. In July 2020, the Indian government designated Pannum as a terrorist.
Tangent
In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told his country’s parliament that his government was pursuing “credible allegations” that “agents of the government of India” were involved in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who had also been labeled a “terrorist” by New Delhi for his support of the Khalistan movement, was gunned down outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, by masked gunmen. The allegations were strongly denied by India and immediately triggered a diplomatic fallout between the two countries. India’s reaction to the U.S. allegations, however, has been much more measured.
Further Reading
Narendra Modi responds to assassination claims (Financial Times)
Indian National Charged For Targeting American Sikh Activist In Assassination Plot, DOJ Says (Forbes)
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