- Senators say those involved in threats should be held accountable.
- Senator Bernard Sanders is among those who wrote a letter to Blinken.
- The United States must be firm and decisive in opposing transnational repression: letter.
Expressing serious reservations about accusations of the Indian government's involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen on US soil, five senators demanded a strong diplomatic response from the Biden administration to ensure that all those involved in “harassment and threats” against the Sikh Americans held accountable. .
In a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the senators also requested information on the status of the administration's engagement with the Indian government on this matter.
The letter said that the US-India relationship should not only be based on mutual strategic interests, but also on a shared commitment to democratic principles and the rule of law, including respect for sovereignty and individual rights and freedoms.
Those who wrote the letter are Senator Jeffrey A. Merkley, Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Bernard Sanders and Senator Ron Wyden.
“On November 29, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced an open indictment against Indian national Nikhil Gupta for participating in a foiled plot to murder a U.S. citizen in New York. The target, reported by the media to be Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, is a vocal critic of the Indian government and an advocate for the secession of Punjab, an Indian state with a sizable Sikh population,” they reported.
The senators said an unnamed Indian government official, who worked with Gupta, ordered the assassination plot, which was foiled by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
According to the announcement, Gupta revealed that they had four targets, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist leader who was killed in Canada in June 2023 by armed assailants.
“While we fully support the Justice Department's efforts to bring Gupta to justice, the US administration must match words with actions to hold accountable the Indian officials involved in the plot and send a clear message that such behavior will have consequences,” they said. .
The senators wrote that it was imperative that the United States take an unequivocal stance against such a threat to the rights of an American citizen and violation of the country's sovereignty.
They also urged the State Department to be briefed on how the department intended to pressure the Indian government to hold those involved accountable and ensure that the government does not repeat such acts of transnational repression.
“India must remain committed to respecting human rights at home and abroad as it aspires to global leadership. “Now that the 2024 general elections in India have concluded, with the return to power of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Modi, the United States has the opportunity to put this issue at the center of the Indian government's agenda,” they said.
The group of lawmakers said the United States must be firm and decisive in opposing transnational repression, no matter who perpetrates it.
