‘Irresponsible’: India on Washington Post alleging RAW officer ‘implicated’ in Pannun ‘plot’

The Ministry of External Affairs today accused The Washington Post of making “unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter”. The newspaper yesterday reported that India’s Research and Analysis Wing had been purportedly involved in the “assassination plan” against Sikh activists overseas.

In response to a media query today, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “There is an ongoing investigation of the high level committee set up by the government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others. Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful.”

Washington Post had alleged one Vikram Yadav, an officer with RAW, as being allegedly involved in the foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. It claimed Yadav was “linked” to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver last June.

“Yadav’s identity and affiliation, which have not previously been reported, provide the most explicit evidence to date that the assassination plan – ultimately thwarted by US authorities – was directed from within the Indian spy service. Higher-ranking RAW officials have also been implicated, according to current and former Western security officials, as part of a sprawling investigation by the CIA, FBI and other agencies that has mapped potential links to Modi’s inner circle,” the report said.

The report also said the “operation targeting Pannun” had been purportedly “approved” by Samant Goel, head of RAW at the time, and that Goel was “under extreme pressure to eliminate the alleged threat of Sikh extremists overseas”. Washington Post added that India’s MEA “declined to respond to detailed questions submitted by The Post or provide comment for this article”.

In March, Bloomberg reported that Indian authorities investigating the plot had found the involvement of “rogue operatives” and that the operation had no official authorisation. But this new twist brought its own questions. Read this piece for more.