US Takes 'It Very Seriously', Says John Kirby On Allegations Against Indian Official In Foiled 'Assassination' Plot
Date
12/1/2023 2:02:09 PM
(MENAFN- Live Mint) "US official John Kirby said his country takes allegations against an Indian official in the alleged foiled 'assassination' plot \"very seriously\". Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, he also lauded India for \"announcing their own efforts to investigate\" the alleged plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader on the America soil.\"These allegations in this investigation, (we) take it very seriously. And we're glad to see that the Indians are too announcing their own efforts to investigate this. And we've been clear that we want to see anybody that's responsible for these alleged crimes to be held properly accountable,\" John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, was quoted by news agency PTI as saying said the probe won't have an impact on the India-US relationship.\"I want to be careful here that I don't get ahead of the Department of Justice and talk about an ongoing investigation. I would just say two things. India remains a strategic partner and we're going to continue to work to improve and strengthen that strategic partnership with India. At the same time, we take this very seriously,\" Kirby said in response to a question on Thursday's statement came a day after US federal prosecutors accused Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh extremist who is an American and Canadian citizen READ: Who is Nikhil Gupta, arrested for planning to kill Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in US?Meanwhile, an unnamed Indian official appeared in an indictment filed by US federal prosecutors in a Manhattan court on Wednesday along with the Indian national, who the Department of Justice alleges hired someone in the US to assassinate Pannun to PTI, Kirby said that the US unearthed this plot after the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US in June Thursday, India described as a \"matter of concern\" the US charging the Indian national with conspiring to kill the Sikh separatist. It also asserted that a high-level probe committee will investigate all aspects of the case.\"The government announced today that it was conducting an investigation, and that's good and appropriate, and we look forward to seeing the results,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken was quoted by PTI as saying on Thursday. Blinken did not give any details about the case, calling it an ongoing legal matter.(With inputs from PTI)
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