NEW DELHI: India raised the issue of Khalistan and their Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) link with the US as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting on Monday with the Director of National Intelligence of the United States Ms Tulsi Gabbard.
ISI is Pakistan's intelligence agency. Sources confirmed the discussion saying, "The issue of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) was discussed and India called on the US to designate the Khalistan group as a terrorist organisation."
"India also talked about SFJ and its link with Pakistan's ISI," sources added, India has already designated the group as a terrorist organisation.
During the discussion, both countries explored avenues for collaboration in cutting-edge defence innovation and niche technologies. The Ministry of Defence in a statement said, "Drawing from the Joint Statement issued after the recent meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Donald Trump, the discussions reaffirmed the growing strength of the India-US bilateral defence partnership."
Both leaders emphasised that strategic security remains a vital pillar of the comprehensive global strategic cooperation between the two nations.
"Rajnath Singh and Ms Tulsi Gabbard reviewed the significant strides made in the areas of military exercises, strategic cooperation, integration of defence industrial supply chains and information-sharing cooperation, especially in the maritime domain, between India and US.", MoD added.
MoD stated that the two leaders explored avenues for collaboration in cutting-edge defence innovation and niche technologies, reflecting their shared commitment to advancing mutual strategic interests.
Additionally, they addressed key areas such as enhancing interoperability and fostering greater integration of defence industrial supply chains to bolster resilience and innovation.
Rajnath Singh expressed gratitude to the US Director of National Intelligence for her steadfast goodwill and admiration for Indian culture and heritage, noting that such sentiments further deepen the bonds of friendship between India and the US.