During the meeting between US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in America, India raised the issue of anti-India activities conducted by the Sikh Separatist organization SFJ (Sikh For Justice).
The report said, India discussed its concerns and asked the US administration to take strict action against the unlawful organization.
India Raises Issue of Sikh Separatist Pannun
The meeting holds significance as this comes following the indictment of Indian national Nikhil Gupta by U.S. prosecutors for his alleged role in a conspiracy to assassinate SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed a plot to kill Pannun, allegedly orchestrated by an Indian government official. Subsequent reports identified the suspect as an agent of India’s external intelligence agency, R&AW, Nikhil Gupta, who allegedly attempted to hire a contract killer for the assassination.
India had denied any involvement in the plot and has launched a high-level investigation into the matter.
Pannun, who holds dual U.S. and Canadian citizenship, is wanted in India on terrorism charges and has been designated a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. While the US says it has unearthed a plot to assassinate Pannun, it is providing a safe haven to terrorist Pannun, who has been threatening Indian officials, prominent Indian political leaders, and the Air India airlines.
Tulsi Gabbard’s India Visit
On Monday, Singh held wide-ranging talks focusing on enhancing the overall India-US strategic ties, specifically in areas of defense and information sharing. Earlier, Gabbard met National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and attended a conclave of global intelligence czars in the national capital that was hosted by India.
Doval and Gabbard mainly discussed ways to bolster intelligence sharing and work closely in the security domain in sync with the India-US global strategic partnership.
On early Sunday, Gabbard arrived in the national capital on a two-and-a-half-day trip in the first high-level visit to India by a top official of the Donald Trump administration.
On Tuesday, the Asia leg of Gabbard’s trip will culminate in an address at the Raisina Dialogue, a multinational gathering of security officials in Delhi, to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited her.
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