Narendra Modi.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to look into any information provided by the United States in connection with the allegation about the involvement of an Indian government official in a plot to kill a Khalistani extremist in New York.
"If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it," the prime minister told Financial Times, adding, "If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it." He also reaffirmed India's commitment to the rule of law in response to the allegation by the US.
This is the first time that Modi has reacted to the allegation by the US Department of Justice that Nikhil Gupta, an Indian citizen arrested in the Czech Republic, was engaged by an official of his government to assassinate Canadian-American Khalistani Sikh secessionist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Modi added that India remained "deeply concerned" about the "activities of certain extremist groups based overseas". He, however, dismissed the speculation that the US allegation against India would hurt the "mature and stable partnership" between the two countries.
"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 cooperation has been a key component of our partnership," the prime minister said in the interview. "I don’t think it is appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic relations between the two countries."
Modi's comment came days after it was made public that US President Joe Biden had turned down his invitation to visit India on the Republic Day.
US prosecutors had alleged that an Indian government official had engaged Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to assassinate Pannun. The US in August requested Gupta's extradition from the Czech Republic. The Municipal Court in Prague ruled in favour of his extradition to the US, although it has not yet been carried out.
The US allegation followed a similar claim by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau about India's role in the killing of another Khalistani leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada. India had dismissed the charge.
Trudeau sees change in India’s tone
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he senses a change in India’s tone with Ottawa after the US warned New Delhi about its involvement in a thwarted plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader on US soil.