Unwarranted, unsubstantiated imputations: MEA on US media report on Gurpatwant Pannun case

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, April 30

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday hit back at a story in The Washington Post which alleged that then RAW chief Samant Goel had sanctioned the plan to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York and that intelligence officer Vikram Yadav had supervised the abortive operation.

Terming the report as speculative and unhelpful to an ongoing probe, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the article makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter.

Jaiswal said the report was unhelpful because there is an ongoing investigation of the high-level committee set up by the Government to examine the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others.

“Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful,” he observed.

The MEA’s reaction to the alleged plot to kill Pannun came a day after it summoned Canadian Deputy Envoy Stewart Wheeler on the raising of pro-Khalistan slogans on Sunday at Khalsa Day celebrations in Toronto in the presence of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, both of whom took the disruptions in their stride.

The MEA had served a demarche stating that the incident once again illustrates the political space given in Canada to separatism, extremism and violence.

“Their continued expressions not only impact India-Canada relations but also encourage a climate of violence and criminality in Canada to the detriment of its own citizens,” it said.

Meanwhile the Post story had said, “US spy agencies have more tentatively assessed that Modi’s NSA Ajit Doval was probably aware of RAW’s plans to kill Sikh activists, but officials emphasised that no smoking gun proof has emerged”. 

It added that the US could still bring charges against RAW officer Yadav if India did not pursue accountability for his actions.

The report also said RAW officers and agents have “faced arrest, expulsion and reprimand in countries including Australia, Germany and Britain, according to officials who provided details to The Post that have not previously been made public”.

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