WASHINGTON: The White House has stated it viewed the role of the Indian intelligence service in two assassination plots in the United States and Canada as a serious matter. The White House statement emphasized the seriousness of the matter.
According to a report by the Washington Post, an officer within India’s intelligence service was directly engaged in a foiled plan to assassinate a US citizen, known to be a vocal critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The newspaper reported the officer was also involved in the separate shooting death of a Sikh activist last June in Canada.
India’s foreign ministry responded to the Washington Post report, labeling it as containing “unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter” and asserting that New Delhi is conducting its own investigation into the issue. Foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed speculative comments on the matter as unhelpful.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre underscored the gravity of the situation, stating that the US government views the reported involvement of the Indian intelligence service in the assassination plots as a “serious matter” and is committed to raising concerns and pursuing necessary actions.
In November, US authorities had previously disclosed that an Indian government official was involved in directing the assassination attempt against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent Sikh separatist holding dual citizenship in the United States and Canada. India has responded by expressing concerns about the linkage and has pledged to formally investigate the matter.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the general counsel of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and a prominent pro-Khalistan Sikh leader, has been a vocal critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has advocated for a separate Sikh state in India. Pannun’s advocacy has made him a target of the Indian government, particularly following the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. Pannun has been a target of Indian authorities.
The involvement of Indian agents in the assassination plots poses a major diplomatic challenge for the Narendra Modi-led Indian administration.
The revelation of the US plot comes in the wake of Canada’s announcement two months prior, indicating that it was investigating credible allegations potentially linking Indian agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Sikh separatist, in a suburb of Vancouver last June.
According to the Washington Post report, an officer within India’s intelligence service, identified as Vikram Yadav, was relaying final instructions to a hired hit team to carry out the assassination during a dinner at the White House in June last year. The operation was said to have been approved by RAW’s then-chief Samant Goel.
In response to the reported plot against him, Pannun expressed defiance, stating that he remains undeterred by India’s actions and trusts that the Biden Administration is capable of handling such challenges to American sovereignty.
The foiled assassination plot, planned by India, has reportedly shocked Western security officials, with Vikram Yadav’s identity and affiliation providing explicit evidence of the involvement of the Indian intelligence service.
The matter is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice, with the White House emphasizing the seriousness of the allegations and stating that India has expressed a commitment to conducting its own investigation. The report has sparked concerns about cross-border repression campaigns and the tactics employed by governments, including India, prompting global scrutiny of such actions.
