The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged sanctions against India, accusing it of complicity in the assassination of a Khalistani activist in Canada and a plot to kill another in the US. The USCIRF, consistently critical of the Indian government since 2020, contends that these incidents signal an alarming escalation in India's suppression of religious minorities and human rights advocates both domestically and internationally. USCIRF Commissioner Stephe Schneck asserted that the alleged involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and the plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US raises serious concerns. The call for sanctions and designation of India as a country of particular concern (CPC) is directed at the Biden administration, despite previous recommendations being overlooked by the US State Department. The Canadian government previously implicated India in Nijjar's killing, while the US alleges Indian government complicity in the plot against Pannun, as per an undisclosed indictment.
Key Points:
1. A US government agency, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has urged sanctions against India over accusations of its role in the killing of a Khalistani activist in Canada and a plot to murder another activist in the US.
2. The USCIRF, consistently critical of the Indian government since 2020, has regularly recommended sanctions, though the US State Department has thus far ignored these suggestions.
3. Allegations of India's involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States have been deemed deeply troubling by USCIRF Commissioner Stephe Schneck.
4. The USCIRF calls on the Biden administration to recognize India's alleged perpetration of severe religious freedom violations, urging the designation of India as a country of particular concern (CPC).
5. Both the Canadian government and the US, through an indictment, have accused India of involvement in these incidents, with Ottawa citing human and electronic intelligence in support of the allegations.
(With Agency Inputs)
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