NEW DELHI: US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has said the country is satisfied with the responses India has shared on the Pannun case and the indictment.
“The US is satisfied with the accountability it has demanded from India regarding the allegations that its officials were involved in a plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil,” Garcetti said during an event organised by the US think-tank Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where he engaged in a discussion with Michael Froman, former US trade representative under the Obama Administration.
Garcetti also remarked that this indictment marked the first significant challenge in the India-US relationship.
“When I referred to a relationship that might encounter bumps along the road, this could potentially be the first major disagreement. So far, knock on wood, I would say the administration is satisfied with the accountability we have demanded on this matter, because this is a red line for America and our citizens,” he added.
India has established a commission of inquiry, from which the US expects information. Garcetti also expressed that everyone in India assumes Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be re-elected.
On human rights in India, Garcetti said that it was not America’s responsibility to fix India but rather to engage with it and reflect US values.
Regarding the violence in Manipur, Garcetti admitted to seeing horrific images of women being dragged through streets, people being killed, and churches and temples being burnt. He said the US was ready to help if India asked.
Meanwhile, commenting on India’s purchase of Russian oil, he noted India’s historical ties with Russia since the 1970s. He emphasized that the purchase of Russian oil was not a violation but rather helped stabilise oil price in the global market.
Garcetti also discussed US and India’s collaborative efforts in engaging with China and Russia on Ukraine during the G20 Summit.
On threats posed by China, he said, “When I go to the US Congress, they say, ‘India needs to be with us on China,’ and I respond, ‘India banned TikTok four years ago. They lost soldiers on the frontlines in 2020, and they are the ones trying to tackle and engage with China.”
