Reported Indian role in assassination plots ‘serious matter’: White House

The White House said Monday it considers the reported role of Indian intelligence in two assassination plots in Canada and the United States as a serious matter.

The Washington Post reported that an Indian intelligence officer was directly involved in a foiled plan to assassinate a US citizen who is one of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most outspoken critics in the United States. It said the officer was also involved in the separate shooting of a Sikh activist in Canada last June.

India’s Foreign Ministry said the Washington Post report contains “unwarranted and baseless allegations on a serious matter” as New Delhi investigates the matter. “Speculative and irresponsible comments on this matter are not helpful,” foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.

“This is a serious matter, and we take it very, very seriously,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “We continue to raise our concerns.” In November, U.S. authorities said an Indian government official had led the plot to attempt the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist and dual citizen of the United States and Canada.

India has expressed concern about the link and distanced itself from the plot, saying it would formally investigate the United States’ concerns and take “necessary follow-up action” based on the findings of a panel set up on November 18.

Pannun is the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice, a group that India called an “unlawful association” in 2019, citing its involvement in extremist activities. Subsequently, in 2020, India called Pannun an “individual terrorist”. The issue is a delicate one for both India and the Biden administration in the United States as they seek to build closer ties in the face of shared concerns about China’s growing power.

News of the U.S. plot came two months after Canada said it was looking into credible allegations possibly linking Indian agents to the June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Sikh separatist, in a Vancouver suburb.

India has strongly rejected Ottawa’s allegations.

(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)

First print: April 30, 2024 | 10:48 am IST