By Jeff Mason and Shivam Patel
NANTUCKET, Mass./NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The Biden administration thwarted a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist in the U.S. while issuing a stern warning to India over concerns of potential government involvement, according to a senior administration official. The U.S. is taking the incident very seriously and has engaged in high-level discussions with India, the White House announced on Wednesday.
The foiled plot was first reported by the Financial Times, prompting Indian officials to express “surprise and concern” upon being informed about the situation, said White House spokesperson Adrienne Watson. The Indian government has reportedly launched its own investigation into the matter.
The target of the thwarted plot is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada. This development comes just months after Canada accused Indian agents of involvement in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in Vancouver, allegations that were denied by India.
The incident poses a delicate situation for the Biden administration, which has been fostering relations with India given mutual concerns about China’s increasing global influence. Indian officials acknowledged that the U.S. has shared information that is being carefully examined and reassured that they take such input seriously.
While details about the resolution of the plot remain unclear, a sealed indictment has been filed against at least one suspect in a New York court, as reported by the Financial Times.
Pannun, an advocate for an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, has been at the center of multiple cases raised by Indian agencies. He denies advocating violent activities and expressed his belief that these events challenge national sovereignty.
The case has historical significance, given the 1985 bombing of an Air India aircraft originating from Canada, which killed 329 people and was attributed to Sikh militants.
Pannun maintains that his message was a call to boycott Air India, not to engage in violence. He has also deferred to the U.S. government regarding threats to his life from individuals he alleges to be of Indian origin, echoing his previous statements about Canada’s sovereignty.
India designated Pannun’s organization, Sikhs for Justice, as an “unlawful association” in 2019 due to purported extremist activities, and listed him as an “individual terrorist” in 2020.
Reporting by Shivam Patel, Krishn Kaushik in New Delhi and by Jeff Mason, David Brunnstrom, Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Heather Timmons and Stephen Coates
