US officials on report on conspiracy to kill Sikh separatist leader

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Washington, April 30 (Language) The White House has said that India is taking seriously the allegations of a conspiracy to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US, but refrained from commenting on the FBI investigation into the matter and the criminal case filed. . By the Justice Department.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s comments come amid an investigative media report on Monday which claimed that a RAW officer named Vikram Yadav was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Pannun in the US and that the move was carried out by the then Indian The spy agency had approved. Chief Samant Goyal.

Pannun is one of the prominent leaders of the Khalistan movement and is the legal advisor and spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice, which aims to promote the idea of ​​a separate Sikh state. The Indian government has declared Pannun a terrorist.

Responding to questions on The Washington Post’s report, Jean-Pierre said that an investigation is ongoing and that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is running a criminal investigation.

“So for anything specific regarding this I will have to refer you to the DOJ,” she said.

The White House Press Secretary stressed that India is an important strategic partner of the United States and “we are working on an ambitious agenda to expand our cooperation across many areas”.

Regarding the investigation report on the alleged assassination plot, Jean-Pierre said, “We have been really consistent about it and have put it forward several times, whether it is a meeting with the Prime Minister here or a meeting abroad. ” Jean-Pierre said, “This is a serious matter and we are taking it very seriously. The Indian government has been very clear with us that they are taking it seriously and will investigate it.”

The press secretary said, “We expect accountability from the government based on that. But we will continue to raise our concerns. This is not going to stop. We will continue to raise our concerns directly with the Government of India.” ,

The alleged plot to kill Pannun in the US coincides with the June 18 fatal shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, last year. According to Western officials, that operation was also linked to Yadav.

The report said both plots came amid a wave of violence in Pakistan, where at least 11 Sikh or Kashmiri separatists living in exile and branded terrorists by the Narendra Modi government have been killed in the past two years.

The daily said senior Indian government officials named in the Washington Post report did not respond to requests for comment.

However, when asked about the investigation into the allegations made by the US in the Pannun case, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said last week, “We have constituted a high-level committee.” The committee is looking into the information shared. “The US is with us because they also have an equal impact on our national security.” Jaiswal said in New Delhi on April 25 that the high-level committee is looking into those aspects. She is doing it and currently she is here.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had on April 1 said India’s national security interests were involved in investigating the alleged involvement of a government official in the conspiracy to kill Khalistani extremist Pannun.

The Washington Post reported that the Biden administration has refrained from pressing charges against Yadav. PTI LKJ NSD NSD

(This story is published as part of an auto-generated syndicated wire feed. No edits to the headline or body have been made by ABP Live.)