The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday dismissed the US’s allegations against India for a foiled assassination plot against pro-Khalistan radical Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, saying that Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of Indian citizens’ involvement in the case. “According to the information we have, Washington has yet to provide any credible evidence of Indian citizens’ involvement in the planning of the murder of a certain GS Pannun.
“Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable,” said Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman, during a briefing on Wednesday. She said that the United States does not understand the national mentality or the historical context of the Indian state’s development, and that it disrespects India as a state.
Zakharova’s remarks came in response to a media question about Moscow’s reaction to allegations against an Indian official of a foiled “assassination” plot, and the American news publication ‘The Washington Post’ stating that India is attempting to do the same as Russia and Saudi Arabia against its adversary.
“I believe ‘The Washington Post’ should use the term “repressive regime” and everything you quoted about Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both domestically and internationally. Now, directly to your question,” she added.
“Regular unfounded accusations by the US against New Delhi (we see that they falsely accuse not only India but also many other states) of violating religious freedoms reflect the US’ misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state, and disrespect for India as a state. I am confident that this stems from the neocolonial mentality, the colonial mentality, the slave trade period, and imperialism,” she stated.
“This doesn’t just apply to India. The reason is a desire to destabilise India’s internal political situation in order to complicate the upcoming general elections. This is an example of interference in India’s internal affairs,” she said.
In April, the External Affairs Ministry rejected a report in The Washington Post that named an Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official as being involved in the alleged plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States.
Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), described the US media report as “speculative and irresponsible” and described it as a “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputation on a “serious matter” that is being investigated.