India Calls On U.S. To Designate SFJ As A Terrorist Group

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – India has urged the United States to designate a Sikh separatist group as a terrorist organization, an Indian government source said on March 18. The request comes more than a year after Washington revealed it had thwarted a plot, allegedly linked to India, to assassinate a leader of the group on U.S. soil, according to Reuters.

In November 2023, U.S. authorities publicly disclosed the plot and later charged a former Indian intelligence officer with orchestrating an attempt on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canada citizen and the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The case strained the deepening ties between India and the U.S.

India has denied any official involvement, launched an inquiry into Washington’s allegations, and in January 2024 stated that the panel recommended legal action against an unnamed individual.

India’s latest request to blacklist SFJ as a terrorist organization was made during a meeting on March 18 between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and visiting U.S. national intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, the Indian government source told Reuters.

India had already designated SFJ an “unlawful association” in 2019 over its alleged support for extremist and secessionist activities, and it labeled Pannun an “individual terrorist” in 2020.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy said there was no further comment beyond an official statement on Singh and Gabbard’s discussions, issued by India’s defense ministry on March 17. That statement highlighted efforts to deepen security cooperation but made no reference to SFJ.

Gabbard’s team and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, speaking at a geopolitics conference in New Delhi on March 18, Gabbard acknowledged hearing from Indian officials about their “very serious concerns” regarding security threats but did not provide further details.