Authorities in the U.S. said an Indian government official directed a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City.
(AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
This announcement by U.S. authorities could have potential ramifications for Indian politics, both at home and abroad, and could spur separatist activities in the Sikh diaspora.
President Joe Biden speaks with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington D.C. on June 23, 2023.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Reports of an alleged Indian plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist in the United States could undermine India-U.S. relations and both country’s efforts to counter China’s growing influence.
An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard next to a police barricade outside the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi, India, in September 2023.
(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
India is far from posing a threat to American power the way China is now. But if the West elevates India at China’s expense, it will eventually have to contend with Indian challenges.
A person holds a sign during a protest outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver in September 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Fahad Ahmad, Toronto Metropolitan University and Baljit Nagra, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
If it turns out India was involved in the death of a Sikh activist in Canada, it should be regarded not only as an extrajudicial killing but also as an act of state terror.
Mourners carry the casket of Sikh community leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar during day-long funeral services for him in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck