Get Gurpatwant Singh Pannun extradited, Ravneet Bittu urges Centre

New Delhi, December 11

Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Bittu on Monday urged the government to build a strong case against US-based Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and said efforts should be made to bring him to India.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, he said despite the government having written to the US around 26 times on Pannun’s extradition, that country has been seeking proof against him.

“Our country values bilateral relations but these can’t be one way. When the Kanishka air crash happened in 1985, which is the biggest example of mass murder, and India had sought assistance, we did not get any. Now this joker Pannun threatens to blow up the Parliament on December 13 (the anniversary of attack on Parliament, which had occurred on December 13, 2001) and needs to be brought here. If he is not brought back, then a case should be made against him by the External Affairs Ministry,” the Congress MP said.

The ministry last week had said it had sought assistance from the US regarding the violation of laws by the Khalistani separatist. The government has also flagged to the US and Canada concerns about threats by Pannun to attack Parliament as well as dissuade people from boarding Air-India flights.