NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he will investigate any evidence provided regarding an alleged plot to kill a Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States and added that "few incidents" would not affect US-India ties, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.
The US Justice Department last month charged an Indian citizen with plotting to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on US soil, alleging an Indian government official was also involved in the planning.
"If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it," Modi said in his first comments on the issue and added: "If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law."
He also said, "There is strong bipartisan support for the strengthening of this relationship, which is a clear indicator of a mature and stable partnership."
"I don't think it is appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic relations between the two countries," PM Modi added.
India's foreign ministry had earlier said it set up a high-level inquiry committee "to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter."
On November 29, the US Justice Department unsealed murder-for-hire charges against Nikhil Gupta, 52, "in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen" of Indian origin in New York City, it said in a statement.
The Justice Department said the man allegedly targeted in the killing "is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of Punjab," a northern Indian state with a large population of Sikhs.
Gupta, who lives in India, was arrested by authorities in the Czech Republic under US extradition orders.
Modi's comments come after the White House said it was treating an alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist in the United States with "utmost seriousness," and had raised the issue with the Indian government. The Financial Times reported that same day that US authorities had thwarted a conspiracy to kill Pannun, a US and Canadian citizen.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who was declared a 'designated individual terrorist' by the Government of India on July 1, 2020, has been actively exhorting Punjab-based gangsters and youth over social media to fight for the cause of the independent state of Khalistan, challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country, NIA investigations have shown. Pannun has been under the NIA lens since 2019 when the anti-terror agency registered its first case against him.
Canada and India had a major diplomatic row after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September linked New Delhi to the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, also a Sikh separatist. New Delhi called the Canadian allegations "absurd."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi also raised concerns over extremist activities and said, India was "deeply concerned about the activities of certain extremist groups based overseas."
"These elements, under the guise of freedom of expression, have engaged in intimidation and incited violence," PM Modi told the Financial Times.
(With inputs from AFP, ANI)