No question of ‘equitable treatment’ to US, Canada: Jaishankar on Khalistan row

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha.

That the central government has constituted a committee to look into the inputs received from the US about an alleged plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

An American and Canadian citizen, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, is a leader of the US-based Sikhs for Justice. India has designated Sikhs for Justice as a terrorist outfit.

In his reply to a question of one of the Rajya Sabha members, Jaishankar further said that there will be “no equitable treatment” to Canada’s allegations of potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of a Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar as no specific evidence or inputs were provided to India by Ottawa.

Speaking in the Upper House of Parliament, Jaishankar said, “Insofar as the US is concerned, certain inputs were given to us as part of our security cooperation with the United States. Those inputs were of concern to us because they (were) related to the nexus of organised crime, trafficking and other matters.”

Nijjar was killed in Canada’s British Colombia province in June this year.

“Because they have a bearing on our own national security, it was decided to institute an inquiry into the matter and an inquiry committee has been constituted,” he added.

On being asked why there was no equitable treatment with regard to charges made by the Canadian government, Jaishankar said, “Insofar as Canada is concerned, no specific evidence or inputs were provided to us. So the question of equitable treatment to two countries, one of whom has provided input and one of whom has not, does not arise.”

Notably, the US Justice Department has brought charges against an Indian man named, Nikhil Gupta, for working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun.

Earlier in September, just after the G20 Summit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive allegation regarding the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar on Canadian soil on June 18. However, India has strongly rejected the allegations.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a press meeting, refused to comment on whether this issue will be raised during the upcoming visit of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director’s Christopher Wray to India.

Asked about updates on India’s probe into Washington’s allegations in the foiled plot case, Bagchi said he does not have any information to share.

He also said India has taken up with the US and Canada the recent threats made against India by Pannun.