WASHINGTON: Indian-American members of the US Congress have commended the Biden administration for providing a classified briefing on the indictment of Indian intelligence agent Nikhil Gupta and the thwarted murder-for-hire plot against US citizen and pro-Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
The UN Congress members, including Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Shri Thanedar, expressed their constitutional duty to protect citizens and called for a thorough investigation by the Government of India.
The Congress members raised concerns about potential harm to the US-India relationship if the matter is not appropriately addressed. The US Department of Justice had recently charged Gupta for attempting to murder Pannun in New York City, at the behest of an unnamed Indian government employee.
In response to the indictment, Pannun welcomed the statement by US Congress members, stating, “It is reassuring that the Indian-American members of US Congress are upholding their fundamental constitutional duty to protect the life, liberty and freedom of expression of the US Citizens at home and abroad.”
The members of Congress emphasized the troubling nature of the allegations outlined in the indictment and called for a thorough investigation by the Government of India. They appreciated India’s establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate the murder plot and urged accountability for those responsible, including Indian government officials.
The incident unfolded months after the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, who was associated with Pannun and the Khalistan Referendum campaign in Canada. The US District Court for the Southern District of New York revealed that Gupta was hired to carry out the plot, prompting a diplomatic warning and raising questions about alleged Indian government involvement.
Concern Over India’s Actions of Targeting of Religious Minorities
Meanwhile, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed alarm over India’s increased transnational targeting of religious minorities and advocates. USCIRF called on the US Department of State to designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), citing the Indian government’s alleged involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
The USCIRF highlighted India’s use of intimidation, harassment, and violence against activists, journalists, and members of religious and ethnic minority groups outside its borders, characterizing it as transnational repression. The organization urged the Biden administration to acknowledge India’s perpetration of severe religious freedom violations and designate it as a CPC.
