New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday dismissed a civil lawsuit filed against the Indian government in the US over an alleged assassination attempt as "completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations".
The rebuttal came from Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri here on Thursday during a special briefing on PM Narendra Modi's visit to the US this weekend.
When asked if the Khalistan issue will be discussed during the bilateral between PM Modi and US President Biden, Misri said, "As we have said earlier, whatever issues are of mutual concern between India and America, we discuss them all. Whether any specific issue will be raised or not, I cannot say at this time, but I can definitely say that we will discuss all the issues."
'-No change in underlying situation-'
On the question of designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun filing a lawsuit against the Indian government in the US over an 'assassination' attempt, Misri stated, "As we have said earlier, these are completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations. Now that this particular case has been lodged, it doesn't change our views about the underlying situation. I would only invite your attention to the person behind this particular case whose antecedents are well known".
"I would also underline the fact that the organisation so-called that this person represents is an unlawful organisation, has been declared as such under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 and it has been done so on account of its involvement in anti-national and subversive activities aimed at disrupting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India", he added.
'-SFJ's Civil suit-'
This comes after the general counsel of pro-Khalistan Sikhs for Justice, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has through his attorneys filed a civil lawsuit in a US federal district court against the Indian government, national security adviser Ajit Doval, and others, seeking damages for the alleged attempt to assassinate him on US soil last year.
US media reported that the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in the district court for the southern district of New York, against the GOI, Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, senior R&AW officer Vikram Yadav, and Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national who has been sent to a New York jail after being charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy for allegedly contracting hitmen to murder Pannun.
'-Strained India-Canada ties-'
The ties between India and Canada have become strained recently, particularly following the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Sikh activist. India has been accused of involvement in his assassination, which New Delhi has strongly denied, labelling the allegations as "absurd".
This incident has led to heightened tensions, with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling for a thorough investigation. In response, India has dismissed the allegations and expressed concerns about the activities of pro-Khalistani groups in Canada. The diplomatic fallout includes mutual expulsions of diplomats and a cooling of bilateral discussions on various issues.
The situation underscores broader concerns regarding sovereignty, national security, and the influence of diaspora communities in international relations. Both nations are now navigating a complex landscape to address these tensions while seeking to maintain essential diplomatic and economic ties.
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