New Delhi:The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said India has received consular access on at least three occasions to Nikhil Gupta, who is detained in the Czech Republic following charges by the US authorities of plotting to kill Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
"We received consular access to him at least on three occasions ", MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during the weekly media briefing here today.
The US federal prosecutors charged Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Khalistani separatist Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of US and Canada, in New York. India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate into the accusations made by the US.
Bagchi's statement came a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that there has been a "tonal shift" in India's relationship with Canada ever since the US alleged New Delhi's involvement in an assassination plot against the Sikh separatist leader.
According to CBC News Canada, Trudeau said he has sensed a change in India's tone with Ottawa after the US allegations. "I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can't bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before", Trudeau said.
Reacting to this, Bagchi said, "Our position has been quite consistent. And whenever this has been raised, we have highlighted how we see the problem. The core issue remains the space that is given to extremists, terrorists and the anti-India elements in that country".
"I think you would have heard from the External Affairs Minister recently as well as others about the developments of that case and we would hope that they would take action on such extremist elements who are misusing the freedom of speech and expression in their country", Bagchi said.
Read on:
- A few incidents cannot derail India-US ties, says PM Modi on Sikh separatist Pannun case
- Five Indian American lawmakers flag concerns about plot to kill Sikh separatist on US soil
- SC adjourns to Jan 4 hearing on Nikhil Gupta's plea in failed plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Pannun
