US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has been facing a lot of criticism on social media for his comments on Khalistan supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannu.
Indeed, on October 24, an interview with Eric Garcetti was published in the English newspaper Times of India.
In that interview, Garcetti was asked a question about Vikas Yadav, a former Indian government official involved in the Pannu murder conspiracy case.
In response, the US ambassador said that there was a lot at stake between India and the US.
He said that the US would be satisfied in the case only when the responsibility for the attempted murder of Pannu was established.
On October 17, the US Department of Justice announced the registration of a case of attempted murder and money laundering against Vikas Yadav.
The case is related to a failed plot to assassinate American citizen and Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in New York in 2023.
US officials say Vikas Yadav played a central role in the “conspiracy to assassinate Pannu.”
According to the United States, Yadav worked for the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), which is part of the Cabinet Secretariat.
Another Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, is already in US custody in the case.
India has also said that Vikas Yadav is no longer an employee of the Indian government.
Eric Garcetti told the Los Angeles Times, “US officials are satisfied with the Indian investigation, but Washington will be satisfied only when responsibility is established in this case.”
Garcetti said, “The United States will not back down from criminal activity, whether it is committed by an allied or an enemy country.”
The US ambassador, however, did not say anything about whether the US will seek the extradition of Vikas Yadav. However, he said that extradition can only happen if he is arrested.
Referring to the impact of the issue on India-US relations, Eric Garcetti said, “If India and the United States do not resolve this issue properly, the stakes will be very high for both countries.”
On the immunity granted to Khalistani separatists in Canada and threats that Khalistanis are receiving from US soil, Eric Garcetti said that the US takes real threats seriously.
Citing the example of the Mumbai attack accused by Tahawwur Rana, Garcetti said, “India and the United States have set a strong example on extradition.”
Garcetti said, “We have said two things from the beginning. First, no country can tolerate this type of behavior. There is a dividing line between every friend and foe.”
“Our first duty is to make it clear, no matter who you are or what you say, as is the case in all countries, that paying for murder is illegal.”
“Second, we want accountability. Instead of saying that this crime will not be repeated in the future, those involved in this case should be held accountable. “Our government lawyers are focused on this.”
He said, “Our lawyers are not 100% politically motivated. “They live in a different environment.”
Earlier in an interview to news agency ANI, Eric Garcetti cited “freedom of speech” to save Pannu.
Gasterty was asked why the US administration is saving Pannu.
On this, Eric Garcetti said, “We are very cautious about freedom of speech. It is very different from the freedom of speech that we have in India.”
There is a sharp reaction in India to the statement by US Ambassador Eric Garcetti.
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said that when the governments of both countries are trying to resolve the issue and an Indian team has gone to Washington, there was no need for Garcetti to give such an interview.
He said, “Why is Garcetti holding India accountable when the Indian Foreign Office spokesman has already issued a statement on the matter? If the US government is not happy with it, let them say so.”
Sibal said a good ambassador leaves him at headquarters to avoid being misled and tries to avoid disputes and maintain friendship between the two countries.
Sibal said, “Garcetti insults India as if it is a criminal. “They are sending a message that punishment will be meted out even without any accountability or remorse in the matter.”
Sibal said, “Garcetti completely rejects our concerns on Pannu and other issues and protects them in the name of so-called freedom of speech.”
Srimay Taluktar, a senior editor at the First Post, says a journalist interviewing Garcetti should have asked him why ?
He asked: “Why were Indian officials not allowed to question Headley at the scene? “Most Indians were killed in this attack by Pakistani terrorists.”
“Does this show that the United States values American citizens more than Indian citizens? Does our government agree with the statement of the US ambassador?
Prominent strategic analyst Brahma Chellaney conducted this interview in X.
He says: “The interview of the US ambassador makes two things clear. While demanding that India be held accountable for the alleged plot, he avoids answering the question of how Pannu, who lives in New York, is threatening to carry out terrorist attacks from US soil. “This includes the recent threats to Indian aircraft.”
“Garcetti absurdly claims that his researchers are 100% apolitical,” Chellani said. But the main reason for political polarization in the United States is the weaponization of the judiciary, which is why its officials are becoming politicians.”
“By trying to use the Khalistani card against India, the United States risks damaging bilateral relations, including by providing shelter and protection to Sikh extremists who seek to carry out terrorist activities in India,” Chellaney Want said.
Brahma Chellani asks: “What will the United States say if an extremist is labelled a terrorist and threatens to carry out terrorist attacks on American airliners from Indian soil, and India does not prosecute him?”
He says: “He has become a role model for Sikh extremists who have committed mass murders, including the mastermind of the 1985 bombings of an Indian airliner in Canada, who was given shelter by the United States and Canada.”
“This includes Pannu, who lives in New York, and who threatened to bomb Air India last week.”
