Responding for the first time to allegations of the Indian Government’s involvement in an assassination plot in the US, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he will “look into” any evidence and maintained that a “few incidents” would not derail the US-India ties.
In an interview with a UK Newspaper Financial Times, the Indian PM sought to play down the diplomatic impact of a US indictment last month that claimed an Indian official directed the attempted murder of designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
“If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it,” Modi said. “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.”
“India in 2020 designated Pannun as a terrorist, which he denies. It has also repeatedly accused western countries of not taking seriously its security concerns about Sikh separatism, which has a long and bloody history in South Asia,” wrote Financial Times.
Modi said India was “deeply concerned about the activities of certain extremist groups based overseas.”
He added: “These elements, under the guise of freedom of expression, have engaged in intimidation and incited violence.”
The US and Canadian cases have raised alarm about India’s possible role in extrajudicial killings. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau announced in the Parliament that Canada has some credible information about India’s involvement in the murder of Surrey Gurdwara President Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
After a few months, a US court unsealed an indictment with a bombshell investigation and hit a huge blow to India at the diplomatic front in which they have charged an Indian-origin narcotics smuggler, Nikhil Gupta, alias Nick (52), for participating in a plot to assassinate US-based Punnun.
“Security and counter-terrorism co-operation has been a key component of our partnership,” he added. “I don’t think it is appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic relations between the two countries.” \
Modi visited Washington for a state visit in June and Biden visited New Delhi for the G20 summit in September. Both leaders also agreed this year to expand co-operation in areas ranging from high tech to defence.
