INDIAN External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday said that the government has launched an inquiry on the input it received from the US as it has a bearing on India’s national security, IANS reports.
Jaishankar made the remarks while responding to a question by CPI-M Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas.
Brittas said that there have been numerous reports that an Indian official has been implicated by the US authorities on account of an alleged attempt to kill a US citizen [Gurpatwant Singh Pannun].
He further said that it has been widely reported that the Indian government was applying its mind and going through the input of the US government on the basis of an inquiry.
He also said that on other counts, there have been reports about India rebutting the stand of the Canadian government.
“Is it a fact that we are not having equitable treatment? And what is the status of the charges and allegations raised by the US authorities?” Brittas questioned.
Responding to his question, Jaishankar said: “I want to clarify to the member that so far the US is concerned, certain inputs were given to us as part of our security cooperation with the US.
“Those inputs were of concern to us because they were related to the nexus of organised crime, trafficking and other matters. So, because it has a bearing on our own national security, it was decided to institute an inquiry into the matter and an inquiry committee has been constituted.
“So far as Canada is concerned, no specific evidence or input was provided to us. So, the question of equitable treatment of two countries, one of whom has provided input and one who has not, does not arise,” the External Affairs Minister added.
MEANWHILE, Indian media is reporting that the U.S. indictment of an Indian national for an assassination plot against Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, allegedly directed by an Indian government official, is likely to be at the top of the agenda as the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray will be in India next week.
The Hindu noted that the announcement of the FBI chief’s trip came just as a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing got underway on ‘Transnational repression: Authoritarians targeting dissenters abroad’. The committee included the cases of Pannun and the killing of Canadian Khalistani Hardeep Singh Nijjar in statements that sought to put India in the same category as countries such as Russia, China, and Iran that it accused of targeting dissidents in other countries.
The Hindu said India’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA), which will host Wray, declined to comment.
MEANWHILE, the Indian government on Thursday said it has apprised the authorities in the US and Canada over the threats issued by Pannun against the Indian Parliament, IANS reports.
Addressing the weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “We do take threats seriously. We are caught in a bind here. I don’t want to amplify too much credence to such extremists who make threats and get a lot of coverage. We have taken up this matter with the US and Canadian authorities. Extremists and terrorists have the tendency to want media coverage on an issue.”
Bagchi was responding to a question about the recent video of Pannun, who is a designated terrorist by the National Investigation Agency, threatening to attack the Indian Parliament on or before December 13.
When asked if India has demanded the US prosecute Pannun, Bagchi said: “He (Pannun) is wanted by our agencies for violation of the law and there is a process under which we seek assistance and that they are prosecuted. It depends on whether the crime is committed.
“In our case, I think requests have gone through detailing the kind of crimes that he is responsible for in India.”
Bagchi further said that they have also flagged concerns to our partners regarding any threats made by extremists or terrorists against India or Indian diplomats.
“We do take it from time to time, there is ongoing conversation, security cooperation, it’s an ongoing process,” he said.
Asked about reports of threats to Air India flights by the Khalistani extremists, he said the Indian security agencies will take appropriate action if any criminal activity takes place.
“Last month, they had threatened on a particular date…Of course, we would condemn any such threat and our security agencies will take appropriate actions. If there are incidents of criminal activity, or we feel there is a threat, we will take appropriate action.”
