WASHINGTON
\nThe White House has said that it has urged New India to hold accountable those responsible for a plot to assassinate a Sikh leader, who is an American citizen. However, it reaffirmed the US commitment to deepen the strategic partnership with India.
\n\u201cIndia is a strategic partner. We\u2019re deepening that strategic partnership. They\u2019re a member of the Quad in the Pacific. We participate with them on a range of issues and we want to see that continue unabated. That said, at the same time, we certainly recognise the seriousness of these allegations,\u201d National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at a White House news conference in Washington.
\nIndia is a strategic partner for the United States but New Delhi needs to hold accountable those responsible for the alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh leader in New York, the White House said.
\nOn November 29, the US Attorney\u2019s Office, Southern District of New York, announced that it had filed \u201cmurder-for-hire charges\u201d against an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta in connection with his alleged participation in a thwarted plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader.
\nA statement released by the US Attorney\u2019s Office alleged that Gupta had been recruited by an Indian government employee, who \u201cdirected a plot to assassinate on US soil an attorney and political activist who is a US citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City\u201d.
\n\u201cIndia is a strategic partner,\u201d National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said at a press conference on Thursday. \u201cWe\u2019re deepening that strategic partnership. They\u2019re a member of the Quad [diplomatic network] in the Pacific. We participate with them on a range of issues, and we want to see that continue unabated. That said, at the same time, we certainly recognise the seriousness of these allegations.\u201d
\nKirby reiterated that Washington wants the alleged plot \u201cfully investigated and those responsible to be held properly accountable\u201d. He made the comments while responding to a reporter\u2019s question about the impact of the allegations on the relations between India and the United States.
\nCzech authorities arrested Gupta, 52, on June 30, the statement said. It alleged that Gupta was an international narcotics trafficker.
\nThough the statement by the US Attorney\u2019s Office did not name the leader, a report in the Financial Times on November 23 identified him as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The Financial Times had reported that the United States had foiled a plot to assassinate Pannun on American soil and issued a warning to India over concerns that the Modi government was involved in the conspiracy.
\nPannun, the founder of a group called Sikhs for Justice, was declared an \u201cindividual terrorist\u201d under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in 2020. The organisation advocates for Khalistan, an independent state for Sikhs, and is banned in India.
\nThe Department of Justice has not named the alleged Indian government employee, whom it refers to as CC-1 in the indictment. He was described as a \u201csenior field officer\u201d with responsibilities in security management and intelligence. He has previously served in the Central Reserve Police Force.
\nOn Thursday, Kirby did not provide details about the nvestigation into the alleged assassination plot. \u201cIt\u2019s under active investigation,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve said that we\u2019re glad that our Indian counterparts are taking it seriously and doing that. We want those responsible for these attacks to be held fully accountable, but I won\u2019t get ahead of an investigation that isn\u2019t complete.\u201d
\nThe Indian government has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to examine inputs from the United States about the alleged foiled assassinate plot.
\nThe External Affairs Ministry said on November 30 that the allegations are a \u201cmatter of concern\u201d and that New Delhi will take action based on the findings of the inquiry committee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON The White House has said that it has urged New India to hold accountable those responsible for a plot to assassinate a Sikh leader, who is an American citizen. However, it reaffirmed the US commitment to deepen the strategic partnership with India. \u201cIndia is a strategic partner. We\u2019re deepening that strategic partnership. They\u2019re a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":373481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-373457","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n