NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit filed by pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun against the Indian government in the US as an “unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations” over an alleged ‘assassination’ attempt.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that it doesn’t change India’s views about the underlying situation, now that the case has been lodged.
“As we’ve said earlier, these are completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations. Now that this particular case has been lodged, it doesn’t change our views about the underlying situation. I would only invite your attention to the person behind this particular case whose antecedents are well known”, the Foreign Secretary said in a press briefing on Thursday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US.
#WATCH | On designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun filed lawsuit against Indian govt in US over ‘assassination’ attempt, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri says, “As we’ve said earlier, these are completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations. … pic.twitter.com/qD4QKrc5L0
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“I would also underline the fact that the organisation so-called that this person represents is an unlawful organisation, has been declared as such under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 and it has been done so on account of its involvement in anti-national and subversive activities aimed at disrupting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India…” Misri said.
Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. Earlier in November, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a US-based leader of the Sikh separatist movement and a citizen in New York.
The Justice Department claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, the Justice Department stated.
India in November last year formed a high-level inquiry committee to address the security concerns highlighted by the US government. The Ministry of External Affairs said that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on national security interests as well, and relevant departments were already examining the issue. (ANI)