Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview with the Financial Times on Wednesday that India would investigate any information it receives about links to the failed US plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader.
The issue faces a delicate crossroads for India and the Biden administration in the United States, which seek closer ties in the face of shared concerns about China’s growing power.
Prime Minister Modi told the newspaper that while downplaying the impact of the issue on diplomatic relations with the United States, “If someone comes to us with any information, we will definitely look into it.” Ta.
“If our people have done something good or bad, we are prepared to investigate it. Our commitment is to the rule of law.”
Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice said Indian government officials orchestrated the plot and announced the indictment of a man accused of orchestrating the attempted murder.
India has expressed concern about the link, disassociated itself from the plot, and said it would formally investigate US concerns and take “necessary follow-up actions” based on the findings of the committee set up on November 18. Stated.
U.S. authorities named Gurpatwant Singh Panun, a Sikh separatist and dual citizen of the United States and Canada, as the target of the attempted murder.
Panun is the legal advisor to Justice for Sikhs, an organization that India declared an “illegal association” in 2019 due to its involvement in extremist activities. Later, in 2020, India designated Pannun as an “individual terrorist”.
News of the US conspiracy comes as Canada is considering credible charges linking Indian agents to the murder of fellow Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June outside Vancouver. This came two months after the announcement.
India vehemently rejected Ottawa’s accusations.
Prime Minister Modi said India and the US share a “mature and stable partnership”.
“Security and counter-terrorism cooperation is a key element of our partnership,” he said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to link some incidents to diplomatic relations between the two countries.”
