News Brief
No Reliable Evidence Provided By US Of Indian Involvement In Pannun 'Killing Plot': Russia
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu.
Russia has dismissed allegations by the United States accusing Indian government of involvement in a foiled 'killing plot' against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, asserted at a press briefing that the US has failed to produce "any reliable evidence" linking Indian citizens to the alleged conspiracy.
"According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun," the official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday.
"Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable," she added.
Zakharova criticised the American perspective, suggesting it reflects a lack of understanding of India's national mentality and historical context. She further accused the US of disrespecting India's sovereignty.
In response to a question on a report by 'The Washington Post', which compared India's actions in the foiled "assassination" plot to those of Russia and Saudi Arabia, Zakharova redirected the accusation towards Washington.
The spokesperson elaborated that the "regular unfounded accusations" from the US reflect a misunderstanding and disrespect for India, stemming from what she described as a "neocolonial mentality."
Zakharova also highlighted concerns over attempts to destabilise India's political environment, particularly in light of the upcoming general parliamentary elections, viewing it as interference in India's internal affairs.
"Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi (we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states) of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States' misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state . I am sure that this also comes from the neocolonial mentality, the mentality of the colonial period, the period of the slave trade, and imperialism," she said.
"This does not only apply to India. The reason is the desire to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the general parliamentary elections taking place in the country. Of course, this is part of interference in India's internal affairs," she added.
