India will “definitely” examine the allegations of an attempt to assassinate U.S.-based pro-Khalistan activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun if provided with adequate evidence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview to the Financial Times, published on Wednesday. In his first public remarks on the case, Mr. Modi highlighted his government’s commitment to the rule of law and expressed concern about the activities of pro-Khalistan groups based in western countries.
“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,” Mr. Modi told the British newspaper.
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Western pressure
His remarks came against the backdrop of sustained western pressure on India to investigate its alleged links to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and the alleged plot to assassinate Mr. Pannun in New York. The issue erupted immediately after India hosted the G-20 summit on September 9 and 10, which was attended by both U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Soon after Mr. Trudeau’s return to Ottawa, he accused “Indian agents” of being involved in the June 18 murder of Mr. Nijjar in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The U.S. expressed support for the Canadian position and urged India to cooperate with Ottawa even as India-Canada relations nosedived.
India-U.S. ties
In his interview to the Financial Times, Mr. Modi focussed on concerns about the actions of pro-Khalistan activists who are based in the western countries. “These elements, under the guise of freedom of expression, have engaged in intimidation and incited violence,” the Prime Minister said, arguing that a “few incidents” would not disrupt the India-U.S. relationship.
Earlier, against the backdrop of the unfolding controversy, sources had said that the Quad Summit, which was expected to be hosted by India in January, was being rescheduled to a later date next year. The Hindu has reported that Mr. Biden too was unlikely to visit New Delhi for the Republic Day celebrations, a presidential visit that had been confirmed by U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti last September.
