iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
India has hit back at China over its comments on the investigation into the foiled assassination plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. A spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded to China’s comments and said that India and the United States are capable of dealing with any issues between the two countries.
The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that there is no role for any “speculative comments and gratuitous advice” by “unrelated third parties.” The statement was issued after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a press conference that the relevant countries must observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations. “China noted the reports. We hope relevant countries will earnestly observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations,” Jian said.
Addressing the weekly press briefing on Thursday, March 28, Jaiswal said, “India and the United States, as two countries adhering to the rule of law, are capable of dealing with any issues that we have between ourselves. There is no role for any speculative comments and gratuitous advice by unrelated third parties.”
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. As per the US Justice Department indictment, an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, who is currently in custody, has been charged with the murder-for-hire of Pannun.
The US Justice Department had claimed that an Indian government employee, who was not identified in the indictment filed, had recruited the Indian national to hire a hitman to allegedly assassinate Pannun, which was foiled by US authorities. Last year, India formed a committee to inquire into the allegations of the foiled assassination plot. In December last year, US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer acknowledged India’s establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate the plot to allegedly kill Pannun in the US.
While speaking on Arunachal Pradesh, Jaiswal said that China may repeat its “baseless claims” as many times as it wants but that will not change the position that Arunachal Pradesh is an “integral and inalienable part of India.” Jaiswal made the statement days after China again came up with its claim over Arunachal Pradesh. Terming the Indian State as “Zangan–an inherent part of China’s territory,” the Chinese Defence Ministry said that Beijing “never acknowledges and firmly opposes” the “so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India.”
Following this, India rejected the “absurd claims” and “baseless arguments” while asserting that the northeastern state is an “integral and inalienable part of India.” In an official statement, MEA asserted that the people of Arunachal Pradesh will “continue to benefit” from India’s development programs and infrastructure projects.
However, amid growing border tensions, India and China exchanged notes on ways of achieving complete disengagement and resolving the issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas, the MEA said on Thursday. India and China held their 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) on Wednesday in Beijing. “Both sides agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels and on the need to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols,” the ministry said.
