iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti said India and the United States are working together in the investigation of the alleged foiled assassination plot against Khalistani supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, and that a ‘red line’ should not be crossed between the two countries.
Referring to the Khalistani marches and the threats issued by Pannun, Garcetti said that the American system protects free speech “for better or for worse,” while adding that an American citizen can be convicted or deported only according to the country’s laws.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. He has repeatedly issued threats against India.
“When people do step over the line saying something will be bombed as opposed to saying somebody shouldn’t fly. The United States freedom of speech, we want success for anybody if there’s a criminal accusation to actually reach the threshold that would have a successful outcome, Garcetti said in an interview with ANI. “Under our law, for an American citizen to be convicted in an American court or to be deported to have a criminal case in another country, it has to meet our law, and so we’ll continue working. And if anybody ever says something that steps over that line, and I know it’s gotten very close, we will be working together on that,” he added.
Last year, Pannun threatened that Air India would not be allowed to operate on November 19. Following this, he also threatened an attack on the Indian Parliament on the anniversary of the Parliament attack on December 13.
Referring to the ongoing investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate Pannun, Garcetti said that the fact that New Delhi and Washington are working together to hold those behind criminal action shows how strong and close the India-US relationship currently is.
He, however, also emphasized that a ‘red line’ should not be crossed and no government employee of any country can be involved in an assassination plot of a foreign citizen. “I think that’s absolutely critical. For any of us, just abstractly, that has to be a red line. No government or government employee can be involved in the alleged assassination of one of your own citizens. That’s just an unacceptable red line,” Garcetti said. “Any country, having an active member of their government involved in a second country trying to assassinate one of their citizens. That’s, I think, usually a red line for any country. That’s a basic issue of sovereignty and rights.”
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 Gupta to hire a hitman to allegedly assassinate Pannun, which was foiled by US authorities.
The US envoy also appreciated that India set an inquiry commission to look into the matter. “I was very pleased that India put together this commission of inquiry, put senior people who are experienced in law enforcement on that, and that they have been digging in on this side domestically to uncover any evidence that would show a murder for hire plot that included anybody who was from the Indian government,” he said. “I think, strongly, but so far, everything that’s been asked of the Indian government has been done. And I would say vice versa. Whenever there is accusations the other direction, we take that incredibly seriously.”
Regarding the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco last year, the US Ambassador said that tremendous resources and huge hours have been devoted in the investigation of the attack. He also affirmed hope that a positive resolution will be reached. “I can’t tell you how many resources have gone towards that. And not just that, by the way, when there have been attacks, for instance, against the consulate in San Francisco. There have been thousands of hours, tremendous resources, millions of dollars put into that investigation. I hope that we’ll have a positive resolution. Nobody should be able to break the law. That’s a clear action, you know, trying to set something on fire,” Garcetti said.
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco was attacked on March 19 by a group of assailants. Some attackers attempted to set the Consulate building on fire by sprinkling inflammable substances early in the morning. Subsequently, on July 2, at midnight, a few people attempted to set the Consulate building on fire.
Reacting to the ‘red line’ comment made by Garcetti, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, April 1, that India has been investigating the alleged assassination plot of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on the basis of “certain information” provided by the United States. “The US ambassador, as an ambassador, will say what he thinks is the position of his government. The position of my government is that in this particular case, there has been certain information provided to us that we are investigating,” Jaishankar said.
