India on Friday strongly condemned threats issued by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of the banned pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), against Indian Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed serious concerns and urged the US to prioritize India’s security needs.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that New Delhi takes such threats seriously and has formally raised the issue with US authorities. “We take the threats very seriously and we raise it with the US government. In this case, also, we have raised it with the US government, and we expect that the US government will take our security concerns seriously,” Jaiswal stated, as quoted by ANI.
Pannun recently issued a video message targeting Ambassador Kwatra, accusing him of being part of an alleged “India-Russia terror nexus.” The Khalistani leader claimed that Kwatra was under surveillance by pro-Khalistan groups and accused him of collaborating with Russian diplomats to suppress Khalistani activities in North America.
The threats come amid heightened tensions between India and Khalistani separatist groups operating abroad. New Delhi has consistently urged host countries to act decisively against such individuals and organizations, citing concerns over the safety of Indian diplomats and the activities of banned extremist groups.
India’s demand for action underscores the broader issue of growing pro-Khalistan activities in Western nations and the need for international cooperation to curb threats against diplomats.