Attempted Assassination of Sikh in the US... "Warning to Indian Government Over Alleged Involvement"

U.S. investigative authorities have reportedly uncovered and thwarted an assassination plot targeting Sikh separatists within the country. Amid diplomatic tensions between Canada and India over Sikh assassination incidents, suspicions have again arisen that the Indian government is behind the latest plot.

According to major foreign media including Bloomberg on the 22nd (local time), U.S. authorities prevented an assassination plot against Sikh separatists in the United States and issued warnings over concerns that the Indian government was involved in the conspiracy.

The assassination target was Kulbhushan Singh Panun, a U.S. and Canadian citizen. He serves as legal counsel for an organization called 'Sikhs for Justice.' Panun is a key figure organizing referendum campaigns for the establishment of an independent Sikh state in countries with large Sikh separatist populations such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Panun stated, "India is trying to kill me for conducting the referendum campaign," adding, "India's transnational terrorism has become a direct challenge to U.S. sovereignty."

The U.S. federal prosecutors have indicted at least one individual involved in the assassination plot in the New York District Court and are currently discussing whether to make the indictment public.

The U.S. government conveyed concerns to the Indian side that the Indian government might have been aware of the plot. However, it did not comment on when the U.S. government became aware of the assassination plot or the circumstances under which the plot failed.

Adrian Watson, spokesperson for the National Security Council (NSC), said, "We are treating this matter very seriously," and added, "The U.S. government, including at senior levels, has raised concerns about this issue with the Indian government, and the Indian side expressed surprise and concern."

The U.S. government also informed its allies about the recent Sikh assassination attempt.

Earlier, in Canada, in September, Hardip Singh Nijjar, a leader of a Sikh separatist movement group holding Canadian nationality, was assassinated. The Canadian government stated that Indian government agents were behind the incident. Subsequently, Canada expelled an Indian diplomat, and India reciprocally expelled a senior Canadian diplomat stationed in India. Canada temporarily suspended visa issuance to Indian nationals but partially resumed it last month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.