Washington: The US Department of State on Thursday (local time) rejected allegations by Russia of interfering in India's ongoing Lok Sabha elections through the foiled murder plot of India-designated Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, saying Washington does not get involved in elections anywhere in the world. Russia slammed the "unfounded" allegations of Indian involvement in the Pannun case and accused the US of 'disrespecting' New Delhi.
"No, of course we don’t involve ourselves in elections in India, as we don’t involve ourselves in elections anywhere in the world. Those are decisions for the people of India to make," said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a regular press briefing.
"There is a publicly-returned indictment that contains alleged facts. They’re allegations until they’re proven before a jury that anyone can go and read," added Miller, refusing to comment further on the case as it is an ongoing legal matter. The Pannun case is once again at the forefront of attention after a report by the Washington Post alleged an Indian RAW officer behind the foiled murder plot.
What did Russia say about US and India?
The Russian foreign ministry on Wednesday rubbished US allegations of India's involvement in the foiled assassination attempt of Pannun, asking why Washington has not been able to provide any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens and accusing it of "disrespecting" India as a state. The Russian foreign ministry accused the US of having a "neo-colonial mentality" and called the allegations unfounded.
"According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable," said ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
"Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi (we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states) of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States' misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state," she further said. "This does not only apply to India. The reason is the desire to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the general parliamentary elections taking place in the country. Of course, this is part of interference in India's internal affairs."
Pannun foiled murder case
The report by the Washington Post claimed that an officer in India's spy wing, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) had relayed final instructions to a "hired hit team" to carrying out the assassination of the Khalistani separatist, who has threatened numerous attacks against India. As soon as the would-be assassins could confirm that Pannun was home, "it would be a go-ahead from us", it added.
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.
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.
(with inputs from agencies)
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