Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raises concerns over Khalistani activities in meeting with US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard

India seeks US action against Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday raised concerns over the anti-India activities of the banned Khalistani outfit, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), on American soil during a meeting with US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, according to sources cited by the news agency.

During the meeting in New Delhi, Singh urged the US government to take strong action against the unlawful organization, which is led by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

The discussion took place against the backdrop of recent US allegations that an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, conspired with another alleged Indian government official to assassinate Pannun in November 2023.

The US Department of Justice had previously claimed to have uncovered a plot involving an Indian intelligence officer allegedly attempting to hire a contract killer to eliminate the SFJ chief.

India has denied any involvement in the alleged conspiracy and has launched a high-level investigation into the case.

Pannun, who holds dual citizenship in the US and Canada, is wanted in India on terror charges and has been designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Tulsi Gabbard’s visit to India

Tulsi Gabbard arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for a two-and-a-half-day visit, marking the first high-level visit to India by a top official of the Donald Trump administration.

On Monday, she met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for wide-ranging discussions on strengthening India-US strategic ties, particularly in defence and intelligence sharing.

Following their meeting, Singh shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) stating:

“Happy to have met the US Director of National Intelligence Ms @TulsiGabbard in New Delhi. We discussed a wide range of issues which include defence and information sharing, aiming to further deepen the India-US partnership.”

According to a Defence Ministry statement, the two leaders explored opportunities for collaboration in defence innovation and advanced military technologies, demonstrating their shared commitment to strengthening mutual strategic interests.

They also discussed enhancing defence interoperability and integrating defence industrial supply chains to boost resilience and innovation.

Meetings with NSA Ajit Doval and global intelligence officials

A day before her meeting with Singh, Gabbard met India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and attended a global intelligence conclave in New Delhi, hosted by India.

During their one-on-one discussions, Gabbard and Doval focused on intelligence sharing and deepening security cooperation within the India-US global strategic partnership, according to the news agency.

Gabbard’s visit to India is part of her multi-nation tour that includes Japan, Thailand, and France.

Last month, she also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Washington, DC.

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