The White House on Monday said it viewed the reported role of the Indian intelligence service in two assassination plots in Canada and the United States as a "serious matter". "This is a serious matter, and we're taking that very, very seriously," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. "We're going to continue to raise our concerns."
Earlier on Monday, The Washington Post reported that an officer in India's intelligence service was directly involved in a foiled plan to assassinate Khalistani leader and a designated terrorist Gurupatwant Singh Pannun.
The report alleged that the officer was also involved in a separate shooting death of another Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last year.
India rejects The Washington Post report
Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry on Tuesday rejected the US media report. It dubbed the report "unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter" at a time when New Delhi is investigating the issue. "Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful," foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
It is worth mentioning in November, US authorities alleged that an Indian government official had directed the plot in the attempted murder of Pannun, a Sikh separatist and dual citizen of the United States and Canada. At that time, India had expressed concern about the linkage and dissociated itself from the plot, saying it would formally investigate the concerns of the United States, and take 'necessary follow-up action' on the findings of a panel set up on November 18.
Who is Gurupatwant Singh Pannun?
Notably, Pannun, a most wanted terrorist in India, is the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice, a group that New Delhi labelled an "unlawful association" in 2019, citing its involvement in extremist activities. Subsequently, in 2020, India listed Pannun as an "individual terrorist".
The issue is a delicate one for both India and the Biden administration in the United States as they try to build closer ties in the face of shared concerns about China's growing power. News of the US plot came two months after Canada said it was looking at credible allegations potentially linking Indian agents to the June murder of Nijjar, who was shot dead by "unknown men" in a Vancouver suburb. India strongly rejected Ottawa's accusations.
(With inputs from agency)
Also Read: 'Unwarranted, unsubstantiated imputations': India reacts to US report on Pannun case
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