Nijjar vs Pannun: Why India's reaction to US allegations is different from Canada's case

Even though both the United States and Canada have ongoing investigations implicating India, New Delhi’s response has been completely different to them.

While Canada last year accused India of being involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar , the United States accused an Indian official of directing a plot to assassinate an unnamed Sikh US national, who was later identified as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

While India has categorically rejected Canada’s allegation regarding Nijjar’s case, India has responded to the US case related to Pannun in a much more measured manner and has formed an investigation committee and taken action against the concerned official.

How India responded differently to Canada & US

Compared to Canada, India has responded to the US case in a very different way.

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has alleged that an Indian official, identified in the legal filings as CC-1, directed a plot to assassinate a US national and recruited another Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, for the job. The DoJ has alleged that Gupta further sought services of a purpose for the assassination, but the plan was foiled as this person turned out to be a US law enforcement informant.

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Gupta, a drugs and weapons smuggler, is now in custody in the United States and is awaiting trial.

Shorty after the United States conveyed the information, India acknowledged it in a public statement.

In November, India said that the United States “shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others”.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) further announced the setting up of an inquiry to look into the matter.

“We had also indicated that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on our national security interests as well, and relevant departments were already examining the issue. In this context, it is informed that on 18 November 2023, the Government of India constituted a high-level Enquiry Committee to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter. Government of India will take necessary follow-up action based on the findings of the Enquiry Committee,” said the MEA.

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Since then, India has taken action against the concerned official and has portrayed their actions as rogue and not formally sanctioned.

India has sacked the official, named by Washington Post as Vikram Yadav of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and has arrested him , according to Hindustan Times.

In the Canadian case, however, India has not acted at all and has backed Indian officials accused by Canada so far. India has also maintained that Canada has not shared any evidence so far.

After Canada framed Indian diplomats as 'persons of interest' in the case , India described the Canadian allegations as “preposterous imputations” rooted in the “political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is cantered around vote bank politics”. India further said that the Trudeau government “has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India despite many requests from our side”.

The statement added, “This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains.”

The statement further said that the series of events over the past seven years under Trudeau’s government does nothing but serves the “anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains”.

Why India treated US & Canada case differently

India has treated the US and Canada’s cases differently for multiple reasons.

One, the United States and Canada approached India very differently.

While the Joe Biden administration of the United States approached India privately before publicly disclosing the details, and did not make the case the basis of the bilateral relationship, Trudeau went public with the allegations and violated diplomatic norms from the onset by outing an Indian official as an intelligence agency official and blaming India for domestic gains.

Moreover, while the United States pursued the case through proper channels, Canada indulged in mudslinging throughout.

Two, unlike the United States, Canada’s Trudeau’s government has patronised the anti-India separatism and terrorism for the past many years. The government has also patronised the Khalistani terrorists who frequently issue calls for harming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian envoy to Canada, and other diplomats.

Unlike the United States, Trudeau has turned Canada into a safe haven for Khalistani elements and anti-India organised crime syndicates. He has been doing all of this to pander to the influential Punjabi community in the country for electoral gains and to ensure the support of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, another pro-Khalistan leader who supported Trudeau for years before pulling out last month.

Even though there has been friction with the United States over activities of Khalistani elements there, it is nowhere close to the political patronage that Trudeau has provided to them. Trudeau’s former ally Singh is supportive of the Khalistan movement as has been his Cabinet ministers over the years. He himself has attended Khalistan events and his now-separated wife has been photographed engaging Khalistan terrorists in official events.

Over the years, unlike the United States, Trudeau has turned Canada into another Pakistan for India.

Three, unlike Canada, the United States did not hold the bilateral relationship hostage over the case.

Even though the case is being pursued between the two nations and there has been occasional friction, the relationship has continued to progress. US President Joe Biden and PM Modi have held multiple time and have talked over phone and the high-level exchanges between the two governments have continued. Multilateral cooperation at the level of Quad and other forums has also continued. Security and military cooperation have also continued.

Four, unlike Canada, the India-US relationship is more critical for both the countries. For India, the relationship with the United States matters much more than one with Canada. The two countries have deep security and intelligence cooperation, particularly regarding China and the Indo-Pacific. During the initial phase of the Ladakh stand-off, India had procured weapons and supplies from the United States on urgent basis. The two countries also frequently hold military exercises.

Five, unlike Canada, the United States did not put the bilateral relationship at stage for domestic politics.

To secure NDP leader Singh’s support and appease a segment of voters, Trudeau has continued to pander to the Khalistan movement over the years. He has sabotaged the relationship with India to win votes — even if it comes by hosting and patronising scores of terrorists and gangsters.

In the statement on Monday, India said that “Trudeau’s hostility to India has long been in evidence”. Referring to the likes of Harjit Sajjan and others in Canadian government who have been overtly sympathetic to Khalistanis, India said that Trudeau’s Cabinet has included individuals who have “openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India”.

The statement further read, “Under criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, his government has deliberately brought in India in an attempt to mitigate the damage. This latest development targeting Indian diplomats is now the next step in that direction. It is no coincidence that it takes place as Prime Minister Trudeau is to depose before a Commission on foreign interference. It also serves the anti-India separatist agenda that the Trudeau Government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains.”

Trudeau puts US in tough spot

The India-Canada tussle has also put the United States in a tough spot.

While the United States values the relationship with India, Canada is one of the closest partners. It is a treaty ally and member of NATO, Five Eyes, and G-7.

Even as the United States pursues the Pannun case in a much more measured way, it has called upon India to be more responsive regarding the Canadian allegations.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller said that the Canadian allegations are “extremely serious” and “need to be taken seriously”.

“We wanted to see the Government of India cooperate with Canada in its investigation. Obviously, they have not chosen that path,” said Miller.

As for the visit of the Indian team looking into the US allegations, Miller said that it was a “follow-up on conversations we have been having with the Government of India at the senior-most levels over the past several months”.

“They have told us that they are taking the allegations seriously, that the activities contained in the DoJ indictment do not represent government policy. So the meeting that happened this week or that is happening today by India’s inquiry was to discuss their active investigation into the matter, for us to update them on our active investigation into the matter, and to continue to share sides about steps that could happen in the days and weeks to come,” said Miller.