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Accident – Death – Obituary News : US Authorities Thwart Indian Plot to Assassinate Pro-Khalistan Leader on American Soil
London: In a shocking revelation, US authorities have reportedly foiled an Indian conspiracy to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the pro-Khalistan leader of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), on American soil. Multiple sources familiar with the case, who spoke to the Financial Times (FT), have stated that the Indian government was behind the plot and have raised concerns over India’s involvement.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American and Canadian citizen, serves as the general counsel for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a US-based group advocating for an independent Sikh state known as “Khalistan”. The plot to kill Pannun was allegedly orchestrated by the Indian government, which has been running a worldwide campaign called Khalistan Referendum, in which over 1.3 million Sikhs have voted so far.
The exact details of how the US authorities uncovered the plot remain undisclosed. It is unclear whether the protest to New Delhi, allegedly lodged after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US in June, led the plotters to abandon their plan or if the FBI intervened to foil the scheme already in motion. However, US federal prosecutors have reportedly filed a sealed indictment against at least one alleged perpetrator of the plot in a New York district court.
The US justice department is currently debating whether to unseal the indictment and make the allegations public or wait until Canada completes its investigation into the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh separatist killed in Vancouver in June. The situation is further complicated by the fact that one person charged in the indictment is believed to have already left the US.
When contacted by the Financial Times, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun declined to disclose whether US authorities had warned him about the plot. He stated that he would “let the US government respond to the issue of threats to my life on American soil from the Indian operatives”. Pannun emphasized that the threat to an American citizen on American soil is a challenge to America’s sovereignty and expressed confidence in the Biden administration’s ability to handle such challenges.
The US has shared details of the Pannun case with its allies following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s public statement about credible allegations linking New Delhi to Nijjar’s fatal shooting. This has raised concerns among allies about a possible pattern of behavior.
The US Justice Department and FBI have declined to comment on the matter, while the National Security Council has stated that the US does not comment on ongoing law enforcement matters or private diplomatic discussions. However, they emphasized that the safety and security of US citizens are of paramount importance.
The revelation of the foiled plot and the protest to New Delhi could potentially renew questions about India’s reliability as a trusted partner. The Biden administration has previously raised concerns about the Canadian allegations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit in India.
It is noteworthy that Pannun’s close associate and Khalistan Referendum Canada head, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was killed on Canadian soil a few months ago by Indian secret service agents. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has directly blamed India for the assassination. Nijjar, who was the Chief Coordinator of the Khalistan Referendum campaign in Canada and a close associate of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, was fatally shot outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a significant Sikh population.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, UK-based Paramjeet Singh Pamma, and others were designated as terrorists by the Indian government in 2020. Nijjar was also the President of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, Canada’s largest Gurdwara.
The Khalistan Referendum voting campaign, under the supervision of the independent Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC), is ongoing and aims to announce the results once all phases are completed. The voting has taken place in various cities worldwide, including London, Geneva, Rome, Australian cities, and Canadian cities.
It remains to be seen how this revelation will impact US-India relations and the ongoing investigation into the plot. The situation highlights the complexities surrounding the issue of Khalistan and the challenges faced by those advocating for an independent Sikh state..
