Hours after a US court summoned the Indian government over a civil lawsuit filed by Khalistni terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun against the Centre, New Delhi has reacted strongly to the case and dubbed it as "completely unwarranted" and "unsubstantiated imputations". The statement from Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri came on Thursday during a special press briefing.
"As we've said earlier, these are completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations. Now that this particular case has been lodged. It doesn't change our views about the underlying situation. I would only invite your attention to the person behind this particular case whose antecedents are well known," Misri said.
Who is Pannun?
Further, the foreign secretary stressed that Pannun represents the organisation- Sikh For Justice (SFJ)- which was declared a "terrorist group" under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 for its involvement in anti-national and subversive activities aimed at disrupting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada, is wanted in India on terror charges.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, while extending the ban for the next five years in June, said that the SFJ is in close touch with the militant outfits and activists, and is supporting violent forms of extremism and militancy in Punjab and elsewhere to carve out a sovereign Khalistan out of territory of India.
Will PM Modi discuss the Pannun issue with Biden?
When asked if the Khalistan issue will be discussed during PM Modi and US President Biden's bilateral meeting, the Foreign Secretary said, "As we have said earlier, whatever issues are of mutual concern between India and America, we discuss them all. Whether any specific issue will be raised or not, I cannot say at this time, but I can definitely say that we will discuss all the issues."
Summon against Indian govt and Ajit Doval
The summons issued by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in the civil action lawsuit states that a response to the summons must be given within 21 days. This comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US from September 21-23 during which he will attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit and address the UN's Summit of the Future.
The lawsuit has been filed against the Government of India and Doval and Nikhil Gupta, who has been charged by federal prosecutors in an indictment unsealed in November last year with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenships, on American soil. Gupta was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic in June and made his first appearance in Manhattan federal court before Magistrate Judge James Cott. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
