The Indian government on Thursday dismissed a summons from the US District Court for the Southern District of New York involving the Government of India, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, and others in connection with an alleged assassination plot against designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
“This case does not change our stance on the underlying issue. The individual behind it has well-known motives,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said during a special briefing on Thursday.
Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada, is the founder of pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an organisation banned under India's Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 for engaging in anti-national and subversive activities threatening India's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Khalistanis can be seen as agents of the US and Canadian 'Deep States,' backed by foreign powers, especially given earlier claims about Pannun's CIA connections, former R&AW officer Colonel RSN Singh told Sputnik India.
Singh noted that when Indians move abroad, it’s typically for financial gain, requiring hard work, leaving little time for political activism. If someone is making consistent progress in a foreign country yet involved in anti-India activities, it raises suspicion about foreign influence and financial backing.
“If they do so, it is certain that their vulnerability is being exploited by the Deep State of the host country, and individuals like Pannun, i.e. Khalistanis, could be categorised as vectors of the Deep State, particularly that of Canada and the US.”
US Court Summons: A Move to Undermine the Indian Government
Singh pointed out that if an American in India were advocating against U.S. interests, the CIA would likely intervene, given the geopolitical stakes.
He suggested that the U.S. District Court's summons could be part of a broader strategy to apply psychological pressure on India. In this context, pro-Khalistan separatists have become useful tools for the West in this context.
“All the accusations made by the US are unfounded, aimed solely at malign the Indian government, as there is not a shred of truth to the claim that India orchestrated any plans to harm anyone,” RK Yadav, Former officer of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) told Sputnik India.
Yadav noted that the U.S. is raising concerns about Khalistani figures even though the Khalistan movement has long faded in India: in other words, the Khalistan issue is being unnecessarily revived, while the majority of Sikhs in India do not support cesession and Punjab remains a peaceful state.
Meanwhile, Singh pointed out that Western countries frequently exploit democracy for their own benefit, drawing an example from Bangladesh, whee before the elections, Washington had encouraged the opposition to boycott, but later criticised the electoral process as unfair due to a lack of the same opposition.
Western nations utilize "democratic rights" as a tool for their own advantages, he added.
Historically, the Khalistan movement gained traction in the 1970s after Pakistan and the U.S. were humiliated in the Bangladesh Liberation War, the ex-R&AW officer noted. Ultimately, the U.S. became dissatisfied with India's independent foreign policy stance.