India on Monday urged the United States to act against banned Khalistani terror group Sikhs for Justice - which operates from American soil - and its founder, US-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun - who faces 104 criminal cases in this country, including eight by anti-terror agency NIA.
The SFJ is linked to anti-India activities, including threats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the government has said.
The call for action came as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Tulsi Gabbard, the US' Director of National Intelligence, who is in India as part of a multi-nation tour of the Indo-Pacific, in Delhi this afternoon. They discussed key aspects of defence cooperation and intelligence sharing.
After the meeting Mr Singh posted on X, "Happy to have met the US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard in New Delhi. We discussed a wide range of issues which include defence and information sharing, aiming to further deepen the India-US partnership."
Ms Gabbard has already met Mr Doval - with whom she discussed ways to strengthen intelligence sharing between the two nations - and is due Tuesday to address the Raisina Dialogue, a multi-national forum on geopolitics and geoeconomics hosted by India since 2016.
Mr Doval, sources told NDTV, had also raised the Khalistani terrorist issue, with specific reference to concerns about anti-India elements operating from American soil.
READ | Ajit Doval Meets Tulsi Gabbard, Chairs High-Level Security Meet
India has repeatedly demanded Western countries - including the US, the United Kingdom, and Canada - crack down on Khalistani symapthisers and terrorists operating from those countries.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump - who met in Washington, D.C. last month - spoke at length on organised crime in America and the nexus with the Khalistani network.
READ | Focus On Organised Crime In India-US Talks Amid Khalistan Violence
The two leaders had then pledged to expand law enforcement cooperation and act against organised crime syndicates, including narco-terrorists, human and arms traffickers.
At a joint press conference then, President Trump had been asked about the presence of Khalistani terror groups in the US. He did not, however, provide a direct answer.
READ | "Tough Accent": Trump Skips Query On "Anti-India Activities" In US
Also, the call-out to Ms Gabbard and the US came as India and New Zealand discussed the same issue. "About Khalistan... this was an issue that came up. We do alert our friends to the activities of anti-India elements in their countries and their abuse of freedom of speech and other democratic freedoms to glorify terrorism and to threaten attacks against India," the External Affairs Ministry said.
Pannun, Nijjar, And India
All of this comes against the backdrop of the US and Canada accusing India of allegedly targeting Khalistani terrorists abroad. The US had accused an ex-Indian intelligence officer of involvement in a (failed) plot to assassinate Pannun and ex-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed Indian officials had a role in the killing of another Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Nijjar, in Vancouver.
India has firmly rubbished both allegations. In fact, a Canadian commission report filed in January said "no definitive link (with a) foreign state" had been proven in the killing of Nijjar.
Months before that, in October, Mr Trudeau confessed during a public inquiry into his allegations that he had no "hard evidentiary proof" to support claims of 'Indian agents' being linked to Nijjar's killing.
READ | Trudeau's Big Admission Amid India-Canada Diplomatic Showdown
In January 15, a high-level inquiry committee set up by India to probe organised crime and terrorist organisations affecting both India and the US submitted its report. The committee had been set up in response to American allegations about the attempted assassination of Gurpatwant Pannun.
The committee recommended that legal action be taken against the ex-Indian intelligence officer - identified as 'CC1' in the indictment filed in New York City - for allegedly orchestrating the foiled plot.
Tulsi Gabbard In India
Meanwhile, earlier today Ms Gabbard spoke exclusively to NDTV and underscored the strength of the relationship between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.
READ | "Both Leaders...": Tulsi Gabbard On PM Modi-Trump Friendship, Focus
"... with President Trump's leadership in the US and of course, Prime Minister Modi's longstanding leadership in India - we have two leaders of two great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen shared objectives..." she said.
