India's EAM Subramaniam Jaishankar
The External Affairs Minister of India, Subramaniam Jaishankar on April 1, 2024, asserted the country’s national security interests are involved in its ongoing investigation into alleged unsuccessful plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil, in response to the remarks made by the US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti.
In a media interview, Garcetti said that India and the US were working jointly on the case and praised the New Delhi government for doing everything that has been asked for. But the envoy also said that a red line should not be crossed and no country or governmental employee should be involved in the assassination of a foreign national.
Any country having an active member of their government involved in a second country trying to assassinate one of their citizens. That’s I think is the red line for any country. That’s a basic issue of the sovereignty. That is a basic issue of rights,” Garcetti said
Addressing the press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi today, the External Affairs Minister said, “It is something we are investigating as we believe our own national security are involved into the investigation.” Jaishankar said “Garcetti as an ambassador will say what he thinks is the position of his government.”
“The position of my government is that in this particular case, there has been certain information provided to us which we are investigating,” he said. “So as and when we have something to say about the investigation, we would be very glad to speak about it. At this point, beyond the fact that there is an investigation going on, we have nothing more to say,” he added.
The latest development comes as Indian national Nikhil Gupta was charged by the US prosecutors in November 2023 in connection with his involvement in a foiled plan to assassinate Pannun, who is a designated terrorist by India for financing violence and fanning Khalistani elements and sentiments.
Last year, Pannun threatened that Air India would not be allowed to operate on November 19. He also threatened an attack on the Indian Parliament on the anniversary of the Parliament attack on December 13.
The federal prosecutors charged that Gupta was working with an Indian government employee and had agreed to pay an assassin USD 100,000 to kill Pannun, who lives in New York City. India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate the allegations.
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