By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senior U.S. officers met with Sikh advocates on Thursday to debate threats going through Sikhs in the USA, together with a foiled homicide plot in opposition to a outstanding activist final 12 months, a number of attendees advised Reuters.
The assembly with senior White Home and U.S. intelligence officers got here two days earlier than President Joe Biden is to fulfill India Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
America has been pushing India to analyze the homicide plot in opposition to twin U.S.-Canada citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, because it continues its personal legal investigation into India’s potential involvement.
The officers briefed a bunch of Sikh advocates in regards to the authorities’s ongoing conversations with India in a closed-door assembly organized by the Nationwide Safety Council, based on the attendees.
The White Home and the Indian embassy in Washington didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Biden could have a one-on-one dialogue with Modi on the sidelines of a joint assembly of the USA, India, Japan and Australia on Saturday. India has featured prominently in Washington’s stepped-up diplomacy to deepen strategic partnerships aimed toward countering the affect of China and Russia.
Whereas the U.S. has expressed concern over the Sikh incident, it has thus far emphasised the significance of the connection with New Delhi, given shared safety pursuits.
Senior U.S. officers on Thursday sought to guarantee the Sikh neighborhood that Washington remained dedicated to defending Individuals from acts of “transnational repression” – a time period that refers to efforts by a authorities to harass, threaten or hurt folks on international soil.
Additionally they offered an replace on efforts by U.S. legislation enforcement to teach native police in regards to the threats and to encourage Sikhs to report any threats or harassment.
“Yesterday, we had the prospect to thank senior federal authorities officers for saving lives of Sikh Individuals and for vigilance in defending our neighborhood,” mentioned Pritpal Singh, the founding father of the advocacy group the American Sikh Caucus Committee, who attended the assembly.
“We requested them to do extra and we are going to maintain them to their assurances that they may.”
Final September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mentioned his nation’s intelligence company have been pursuing credible allegations that Modi’s authorities was behind the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh separatist who was vocal in supporting the creation of a brand new separate Sikh state in northern Indian known as “Khalistan.”
Two months later, the U.S. Justice Division charged Indian nationwide Nikhil Gupta with attempting to rearrange the homicide of Pannun, one other outstanding Sikh separatist, on the behest of an unnamed Indian intelligence official.
India has denied involvement in each incidents.
Gupta has pleaded not responsible and is awaiting trial in New York Metropolis, whereas 4 different Indian nationals in Canada are going through costs of homicide and conspiracy within the dying of Nijjar.
This week, Pannun filed a civil lawsuit in opposition to India over its alleged try to have him killed.
Following Nijjar’s killing, Reuters has reported that the FBI and the Canadian Royal Mounted Police privately warned not less than seven Sikh activists that their lives could possibly be in grave hazard, together with Pritpal Singh.
Since then, many Sikh activists in the USA and Canada, together with some elected officers, have mentioned they proceed to face threats and harassment.