Our own security interests involved in Pannun probe: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 1

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said India’s own national security interests were involved in the ongoing investigation into allegations that a government official was involved in an assassination plot targeting Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

“It is something we are investigating as we believe our own national security interests are involved in that investigation,” the minister said a day after US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti spoke of the involvement of a government official in an assassination bid on a citizen of another country and described it as an “unacceptable red line”.

“The US envoy will state the position of his government as I will state mine. But our own national security interests are involved in this investigation...The position of my government is that in this particular case, there has been certain information provided to us which we are investigating....So, as and when we have something to say on the investigation we would be very glad to speak about it. At this point, beyond the fact that there is an investigation going on, we have nothing more to say,” Jaishankar said.

On Indians trapped in Ukraine after being taken to Russia on promises of jobs, Jaishankar said India had taken up the matter “very very strongly” with the Russian government. “We are trying to get all these people back to India safely,” he said.

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