US Thwarts Attempt To Assassinate Sikh Separatist, Warns India
American authorities foiled an attempt to assassinate a Sikh separatist in the U.S. and warned the Indian government over its possible involvement in the plot.
The Financial Times reported Wednesday that the controversial Gurpatwant Singh Pannum was targeted in the conspiracy. He is accused of warning Air India passengers on Monday that their lives are at stake for using the carrier.
It is unclear whether the Indian government aborted the attempt after being warned or it was intercepted by the FBI.
It was only June when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the U.S. on a state visit and welcomed by President Joe Biden. Just two months ago, Canadian authorities said they had “credible” accusations of Indian agents carrying out a murder in June.
Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in a Vancouver suburb. India strongly denied the accusation, but the Canadian government expelled a top Indian diplomat.
An unnamed U.S. official told the Times that it is believed that New Delhi knew of the plot to assassinate Pannum. They did not reveal how this knowledge was gained or how the attempt to murder the Sikh leader was thwarted.
The FBI is currently investigating.
National Security Council spokeswoman Andrenne Watson said in a statement that Washington is “treating this issue with utmost seriousness, and it has been raised by the U.S. government with the Indian government, including at the senior-most levels.”
She said Indian officials reacted with “surprise and concern.”
Watson added that Indian authorities are investigating and “will have more to say about it in the coming days.” The U.S., she explained, made the seriousness of the issue clear along with the expectation that anyone responsible “should be held accountable.”
India is not the only nation that experts warn is targeting political opponents in the U.S. Communist China is well known for harassing its dissidents on American soil.
Beijing was revealed to have multiple unofficial “police stations” in operation in the U.S. and abroad. These are centers that function to keep political opponents in line.
