“As regards the case against an individual filed in a US court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern. We have said, and let me reiterate, this is contrary to government policy,” THING spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
Organised crime-extremists nexus a serious issue: MEA
The rejection of Justin Trudeau’s charge appeared significant because the US indictment also linked the unnamed Indian official who ordered the hit on Pannun with Nijjar and helped highlight New Delhi’s divergent responses to Washington DC, on the one hand, and Ottawa, on the other. In stark contrast to its position on Canada’s claims, the government has formed a high-level committee to probe US allegations of India’s role in the Pannun case. Indian officials have defended this incongruity by drawing a distinction, according to which the US, unlike Canada, has provided actionable information about the alleged plot to eliminate Pannun.
“The nexus between organised crime, trafficking, gun-running and extremists at an international level is also a serious issue for law enforcement agencies to consider. It is precisely for this reason that a high-level enquiry committee has been constituted. We will obviously be guided by its results,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi added.
The indictment of an Indian and charges by US federal prosecutors that an Indian official ordered the hit on Pannun seemed to have come as a shot in the arm for Canada with Trudeau saying the news coming out of the US further underscored “what we’ve been talking about from the very beginning: which is India needs to take this seriously”.
“The Indian government needs to work with us to ensure that we’re getting to the bottom of this. This is not something that anyone can take lightly,” he said.
“Matter of concern…” MEA after US alleges Indian official directed assassination plot of Sikh leader
India responded by saying Canada had consistently given space to anti-India extremists and violence. “That is at the heart of the issue. Our diplomatic representatives have borne the brunt of this. So we expect the government of Canada to live up to their obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. We have also seen interference in our internal affairs. This is obviously unacceptable,” Bagchi said.
He recalled that the US had shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organised criminals, gun-runners, terrorists and others with India. “We take such inputs seriously, and a high-level enquiry committee has been constituted to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter and necessary follow-up action will be taken based on the findings of the enquiry committee. We cannot share any further information on such security matters,” he said.