Who Are the Sikh Separatists India Is Accused of Plotting Against?
Activists of a pro-Khalistan group stage a demonstration demanding justice for Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Amritsar, India on Sept. 29.
Photographer: Narinder Nanu/AFP/Getty ImagesUS prosecutors are accusing an agent of India’s government of directing a plot to assassinate a US citizen of Sikh faith who sought an independent Sikh state. That plot, in New York, was thwarted. But around the same time, an associate of the would-be victim was killed in British Columbia, prompting a public accusation of India’s involvement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and vigorous denials from India.
Four Indian nationals have been charged in the murder. An Indian investigation into the US claims found that rogue operatives not authorized by the government were responsible for the New York plot, senior officials familiar with the probe told Bloomberg News. A suspect in the plot has been extradited to the US. Meantime, the alleged plots over “Sikh separatism” are complicating US efforts to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.