Modi dismisses India assassination plot claims as a ‘few incidents’ that will not derail US ties

Indian prime minister vows to look into allegation of Pannun’s assassination plot

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi vowed to look into allegations of an Indian assassination plot in the US, while insisting that a “few incidents” were unlikely to derail the diplomatic ties between the two nations.

This is the first time that Mr Modi has publicly addressed the matter after the US accused India of an assassination plot against New York-based Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US citizen who has been labelled a terrorist in India. He denies any illegal activity.

Speaking with the British newspaper the Financial Times in an interview published on Wednesday, Mr Modi said: "If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it."

He also expressed his concerns about extremist groups operating overseas, however, an apparent reference to organisations like Pannun’s which advocate for the creation of a separate Sikh state in what is now India, known as the Khalistan movement. “These elements, under the guise of freedom of expression, have engaged in intimidation and incited violence,” he said.

The Indian prime minister said the allegations, and earlier claims of a successful Indian assassination plot against a Sikh leader in Canadaa, were unlikely to affect the relationship between India and the US, adding that “security and counter-terrorism cooperation has been a key component” of the partnership.

“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,” he said.

“We need to accept the fact that we are living in the era of multilateralism. The world is interconnected as well as interdependent. This reality compels us to recognise that absolute agreement on all matters cannot be a prerequisite for collaboration.”

Earlier in November, the US raised concerns with New Delhi about the plot to kill Mr Pannun. The allegations came two months after Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau raised similar concerns in parliament, saying there were credible allegations that the Indian government may have had links to the assassination in that country of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

At the time, India rejected the accusation as absurd. But Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat and India responded with the same measure.But in November, the US officials alleged that an Indian government official paid $100,000 for a plot to assassinate Pannun.

They became aware of the plot to kill the separatist leader last spring. The Indian government formed a high-level inquiry committee on 18 November to look into all the aspects of the matter after the US shared some information with India, said spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi.

The unnamed government official was mentioned in an indictment, unsealed in Manhattan federal court, that charged Nikhil Gupta, 52, an Indian national who had lived in India, with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.

"The defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a US citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs, an ethno-religious minority group in India," US attorney Damian Williams said in a release announcing the charges against Mr Gupta.

Mr Gupta was arrested on 30 June by Czech authorities through a bilateral extradition treaty between the US and the Czech Republic, according to the Associated Press. It was not immediately clear when he might be brought to the United States.

US authorities said the plot was directed by an Indian government agency employee who has described himself as a "senior field officer" with responsibilities in "security management" and "intelligence", according to the indictment, seen by the AP.