New Delhi: The US announced that the matter of India ensuring accountability for the alleged plot to kill a Sikh American citizen was raised during the visit of a senior White House official to New Delhi this week, but there was silence from the Indian side.On Monday, principal deputy national security advisor Jon Finer led delegation-level talks for a review of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), co-chaired with his Indian counterpart, Vikram Misri. He also participated in the global technology summit.A press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday talked about the iCET agenda in relative detail. It also mentioned that “key bilateral issues” were discussed, but did not cite them specifically.The White House readout of Finer’s visit was more explicit. “Mr. Finer acknowledged India’s establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible,” it said.Speaking at the Global Technology Summit in Delhi, organised by the MEA and Carnegie India, Finer highlighted the enduring challenges in the India-US relationship up to the present day. He acknowledged the “complicated history” of the relationship and emphasised that, across various administrations in both countries, there has been a demonstrated ability to navigate difficulties. “There are many difficult issues that remain in relationship, right up to the present day,” he said, adding, that both sides demonstrated that “we can work through our differences in a constructive way without derailing the broader cooperative agenda.”There has been no official response from the Indian side to the White House’s statement.On November 29, US federal prosecutors filed fresh new charges against an Indian citizen, Nikhil Gupta, for being involved in a plot to kill a Sikh-American member of a Khalistani group which is banned by New Delhi. The charges also accuse an unnamed but “identified Indian government employee” of directing the failed plot. The indictment also appears to link the Indian official with the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Khalistani activist, in June. A US undercover law enforcement personnel was allegedly recruited to be the hitman.While the charges did not name the Sikh-American citizen, he is believed to be Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel of the proscribed group, ‘Sikhs for Justice’After the indictment, India had said that it was looking into the complaint and had set up an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.As per US media reports, senior US administration officials, including NSA Jake Sullivan and CIA chief William Burns, had already raised the matter with the Indian government since August.Finer’s visit to India is the first by a senior US administration official following the charges being made public.He also held talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra.The US State Department on Monday also underlined that Washington was looking forward to the findings of the committee set up by the Indian government.“But I would say that when these – when this alleged incident was brought to our attention, we made very clear at the most senior levels of our government to the most senior levels of the Indian Government how seriously we would treat something like this. They have opened an investigation into the matter and we look forward to seeing the results of that investigation,” said state department spokesperson Matthew Miller.To the question about media reports that India’s intelligence services conducting similar operations in neighbouring countries, Miller stated, “We have made clear that we oppose transnational oppression no matter where it occurs or who might be conducting it. That’s not a comment specific to India. That’s a comment specific to any country in the world.”
