Russia supports India, questions America’s lack of evidence to implicate India in Pannun case

Rejecting US allegations of a murder plot against pro-Khalistan fundamentalist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Washington has not yet provided any credible evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the case.

“According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any credible evidence of involvement of Indian nationals in planning the assassination of GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic is unacceptable in the absence of evidence,” Russian Foreign Ministry official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday (local time).

He said that America does not understand the national mentality as well as the historical context of development of the Indian state and it disrespects India as a state.

Zakharova’s comments came in response to a media question on Moscow’s reaction to allegations against an Indian official of a failed “assassination” plot, and US news publication ‘The Washington Post’ said India, like Russia and Saudi Arabia, Trying to do just that. Against your enemy.

“It seems to me that ‘The Washington Post’ should use the term “repressive regime” and everything you quote in relation to Washington. It’s hard to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs. Now Directly about your question,” Zakharova said, according to a readout of the briefing released by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“The regular baseless allegations by the United States against New Delhi (we see that they make baseless allegations not only on India but also on many other states) of violating the religious freedom of the United States national mentality, historical context Are a reflection of misunderstanding. The development of the Indian state and the disrespect of India as a state. I’m sure it also comes from the neo-colonial mentality, the mentality of the colonial period, the era of the slave trade and imperialism,” he said.

“This does not apply only to India. The reason for this is the desire to unbalance the internal political situation of India in order to complicate the general parliamentary elections to be held in the country. Of course, this is part of interference in India’s internal affairs,” he said.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. Earlier in November, the US Justice Department had unsealed the indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in the foiled plot to assassinate Pannun.

In April, the Ministry of External Affairs had rejected the Washington Post report which suggested the involvement of an Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in the alleged killing of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US.

Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), called it an “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” allegation on a “serious matter” under investigation, saying the US media report was “speculative and irresponsible”.

Responding to media queries on the report in US national daily Washington Post, Jaiswal said a high-level committee constituted by the Indian government is investigating the security concerns shared by the US government on the network. Organized criminals, terrorists and others.

“The report in question makes unfair and baseless allegations about a serious matter. The high-level committee constituted by the Indian government is under investigation to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on the networks of organized criminals, terrorists and others. “Speculations and irresponsible comments on this are not helpful.”

Citing authorities and a US indictment, the Washington Post report claimed that the RAW officer, identified as Vikram Yadav, had instructed Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta to kill Pannun outside his New York residence. Hire a hitman.

Gupta, who is now in custody in the Czech Republic, is pending extradition to the US to stand trial in the case. According to the US Daily report, the operation targeting Pannun was approved by then RAW chief Samant Goyal.

Specifically, according to the indictment of the US Department of Justice, Indian citizen, Nikhil Gupta, who is currently in custody, has been charged with the murder of Pannun.

The US Justice Department has claimed that the Indian government employee (designated CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, arranged for a hitman to be hired to carry out the assassination. It recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta, who, according to prosecutors, was foiled by US authorities.

Gupta has been charged with murder for hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic, Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30.

Subsequently, the Ministry of External Affairs said that filing a case against an individual in a US court and allegedly linking him to an Indian official is a “matter of concern” and contrary to government policy.

India has also constituted a high-level committee to investigate the matter.