US Shared Inputs On Criminal Nexus Says India
NEW DELHI, (IANS) – The spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, said on November 22 that the US shared some inputs about a nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists, and others which are a cause of concern for both the nations, and they have decided to take necessary follow-up action.
He also said that issues in the context of the US inputs are already being examined by the relevant departments.
In a statement on reports of discussions between India and the US on security matters, Bagchi said: “During the course of recent discussions on India-US security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to a nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others.”
He said the inputs are a cause of concern for both the countries and they have decided to take necessary follow-up action.
On its part, India takes such inputs “seriously” since it “impinges on our own national security interests” as well, he said.
“Issues in the context of US inputs are already being examined by the relevant departments,” the MEA spokesperson added.
Pradeep Srivastava
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The following is what I glean from the latest article on this issue, as of now, from buffalonews.com, as follows:
“India faces questions about another reported assassination; Mujib Mashal; New York Times; 12 hours ago”
“For the second time in recent months, India’s government is facing questions about whether it was involved in an assassination plot on Western soil, as American officials said they had expressed concerns to New Delhi about a thwarted plan to kill a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen.
U.S. officials did not publicly accuse India of trying to orchestrate the killing of the dual citizen, reported by news outlets to be Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a vocal advocate of the cause of Sikh separatism.”
The US is clearly implicating Government of India in the context of the plot to assassinate Pannun, albeit privately.
“Responding to those reports, which cited anonymous U.S. officials, the Indian foreign ministry issued a vaguely worded statement acknowledging discussion with the United States on the matter.
“The U.S. side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others. The inputs are a cause of concern for both countries, and they decided to take necessary follow-up action,” the statement said.”
The statement is indeed vague. What does the word “others” imply in the above statement? Does “others” include Government of India, as implied by the statement made by the U.S. officials? What’s the reason behind this vague statement? Is Government of India trying to hide something? Or is it just trying to be diplomatic and deliberately vague to avoid looking bad in the eyes of the international community?
“The two countries have expanded defense and trade ties, with a constant flow of senior American officials visiting the Indian capital in recent months, as the United States tries to counter China’s influence in the region.
Still, if India was involved in a plot inside the United States, it would represent an audacious breach against a powerful democratic ally, and it would intensify questions about New Delhi’s reliability as a partner that were raised after Trudeau’s accusation.”
I totally agree with this statement. In light of the fact that Prime Minister Modi and BJP are up for election in 2024, it is just possible that the Government of India is taking this serious issue lightly. They don’t want to give any pretext to the opposition parties to rail against them.
November 24, 2023