‘Issues not the same’: Jaishankar on US, Canada’s allegations against India | India News

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that the recent issues raised by US and Canada with India regarding pro-Khalistani elements are “not the same” and asserted that New Delhi is always open to looking into concerns of any country.
Speaking at the Rotary Institute 2023 event in Bengaluru, Jaishankar said that India is a “very responsible” country and is willing to look into the matter if any country has a concern and shares inputs.
He was referring to both: Canada’s allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar as well as America’s recent charge that India was behind the foiled plot to assassinate Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
“I think everybody knows that India is a country where we are very responsible, very prudent on what we do and the whole issue for us has been that we have always maintained that. If any country, not just Canada, if any country has a concern and gives us some input or some basis for that concern, we are always open to look at it,” he said, adding, “This is what countries do.”
The minister said that India has told Canada that it is up to them whether they want India to pursue the charges or not but added that the issue raised by US is different.
Speaking about US’s indictment of Nikhil Gupta in connection with the alleged plot assassinate Pannun, he said that when the Americans brought up the issue, they told us some specific things and India is looking into it.

“The point was when Americans brought up some issues and the two issues are not necessarily the same. When they brought up that issue the Americans told us some specific things. What happens in international relations from time to time such challenges can arise,” Jaishankar said.
Earlier in November, the US Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a US-based leader of the Sikh Separatist Movement and a citizen in New York.
The US Justice Department has claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors.

Following this, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that a case filed against an individual in a US court and allegedly linking him to an Indian official is a “matter of concern” and is contrary to government policy.
However, recently, Indian American Members of Congress have “welcomed” the Indian government’s announcement of a committee of inquiry to probe the alleged foiled assassination plot against India-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Earlier in June, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the involvement of “agents of the Indian government” in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
However, India rejected the allegations as “absurd and motivated” and expelled a Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move over Canada’s decision.
(With inputs from ANI)