U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
| Photo Credit: AP

The United States on May 9 dismissed the Russian allegations of the US interfering in the ongoing Indian elections.

“No, of course, we don’t involve ourselves in elections in India as we don’t involve ourselves in elections anywhere in the world. Those are decisions for the people of India to make,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.

He was responding to a question on Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova’s statement in Moscow in this regard when asked about a recent Washington Post article alleging that a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer was involved in an alleged plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil last year.

“Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi… we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states…of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States’ misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state,” Ms. Zakharova told reporters in Moscow.

She described it as a colonial mentality of the United States.

“The reason is that they try to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the (ongoing) general parliamentary elections. That is part of meddling into India”s internal affairs,” RT news quoted her as saying.

“The Washington Post, it seems to me, should use the term ‘repressive regime’ and everything you quoted in relation to Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs,” she said.

In Washington, Mr. Miller refrained from responding to the question on the alleged plot.

“There is a publicly returned indictment that contains alleged facts. They are allegations until they’re proven before a jury that anyone can go and read. I won’t speak to them here because of course it’s an ongoing legal matter and I’ll leave it at that,” he said.

A member of United Hindu Front organisation holds a banner depicting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, believed to be based in Canada and designated as a Khalistani terrorist,, during a rally in New Delhi. File photo
| Photo Credit: AFP

A day after The Washington Post named an Indian official for allegedly plotting to eliminate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the External Affairs Ministry on April 30 said the report made “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputations on a serious matter.

The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to assassinate Pannun.

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“The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“There is an ongoing investigation of the high level committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others,” he said.

Mr. Jaiswal was responding to media queries on the report.

“Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful,” Mr. Jaiswal said.

In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun, a Sikh extremist on American soil.

Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.

On December 7, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in Parliament that India instituted an inquiry committee to look into the inputs received from the U.S. in the case as the matter has a bearing on national security.