For the first time since the allegations of an Indian official and an Indian national being involved in an alleged plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil came to light, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that if an Indian citizen has done anything good or bad, the government is “ready to look into it”.
In an interview with UK-based daily The Financial Times, PM Modi said, “If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it… If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law.”
While this is the first time PM Modi has spoken on the allegations of Indian nationals’ involvement in the alleged murder plot, he also sought to clear the air that the incident would not have an adverse impact on Indo-US ties, saying he does not think it apt to link a few incidents with diplomatic ties.
However, PM Modi also said that India was “deeply concerned about the activities of certain extremist groups based overseas”. “These elements, under the guise of freedom of expression, have engaged in intimidation and incited violence,” he added.
On the impact on Indo-US ties, PM Modi said, “There is strong bipartisan support for the strengthening of this relationship, which is a clear indicator of a mature and stable partnership. Security and counter-terrorism co-operation has been a key component of our partnership… I don’t think it is appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic relations between the two countries.”
Making a broader point, he said, “We need to accept the fact that we are living in the era of multilateralism. The world is interconnected as well as interdependent. This reality compels us to recognise that absolute agreement on all matters cannot be a prerequisite for collaboration.”
PM Modi’s comments come in the backdrop of divergences between India and the US on the Russia-Ukraine war, but also convergences on shared threats and concerns about China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.
Last week, it became clear that US President Joe Biden is not coming to India for the Republic Day parade in January 2024, and the Quad summit, proposed to be held around that time, is being postponed to the latter part of 2024.
Biden’s unavailability for the Republic Day and the postponement of the Quad summit comes at a time when the US is investigating the alleged Pannun murder plot. The Indian government is also probing inputs shared by US agencies as an Indian official is allegedly involved in planning the plot. The US federal prosecutors filed an indictment in November detailing the alleged plot against Pannun, who holds dual nationality of US and Canada.