The US has thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader: AP source
Washington, Nov 22: The US has thwarted a plot to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, a U.S. official familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
U.S. authorities have raised concerns with New Delhi that the Indian government may have had knowledge of the plot, according to the official who was not authorized to comment on the sensitive matter.
The official declined to comment on when or how U.S. officials became aware of the plot as well as how the alleged assassination attempt was derailed. The FBI is investigating the matter, the official said.
Spokespeople for the FBI and Justice Department declined to comment Wednesday.
The revelation follows the September disclosure by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of what he said were credible allegations that the Indian government may have had links to the assassination in that country of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India rejected the accusation as absurd, but Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat while it investigated.
The thwarted assassination plot was first reported by the Financial Times, which said the U.S. informed some allies of the alleged plot.
The official who spoke to AP added that concerns over the plot have been raised by U.S. authorities at the highest levels of the Indian government, and officials in New Delhi indicated they were treating the matter seriously.
"We are treating this issue with utmost seriousness, and it has been raised by the U.S. Government with the Indian Government, including at the senior-most levels. Indian counterparts expressed surprise and concern," National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
"They stated that activity of this nature was not their policy. Based on discussion with senior U.S. government officials, we understand the Indian government is further investigating this issue and will have more to say about it in the coming days. We have conveyed our expectation that anyone deemed responsible should be held accountable," the statement added.
Law enforcement officials have repeatedly warned about what they say is an alarming trend of foreign governments seeking to harass, stalk or intimidate dissidents and political opponents in the U.S.
India's foreign ministry issued a statement noting that the U.S. had raised information pertaining to a "nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others" during recent conversations. The statement described the information as a "cause of concern for both countries" and said India takes it seriously.
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Principal arrested for deleting Ganesh Chaturthi post from Kota school's WhatsApp group
Kota (Rajasthan) Sep 8: A government school principal was arrested here after he allegedly deleted Ganesh Chaturthi greetings posted on the school WhatsApp group, which triggered protests by people of the village, officials said on Sunday.
Villagers held demonstrations outside the school, demanding the removal of Shafi Mohammed Ansari, principal of government senior higher secondary school at Laturi village, they said.
The principal allegedly removed posts that had a picture of Lord Ganesh from a school WhatsApp group. Parents and teachers are part of the group, DSP Narendra Nadar said.
SHO at Bapawar Police Station Uttam Singh said Ansari was arrested for disturbing communal harmony. He was granted bail and released later in the evening, the officer said.
The situation in the village remained normal and peaceful, the SHO said.
According to police, a man posted a Ganesh Chaturthi greetings message on the WhatsApp group, which the principal deleted. The group is named School Management Development Committee or SMDC, the SHO said.
Around two hours later, a school teacher also uploaded a Ganesh Chaturthi greeting in the same group and Ansari allegedly deleted the post again, police said.
After this, some villagers gathered outside the school, held demonstrations against the principal and demanded his removal.
Police rushed to the spot on getting information about the incident, the SHO said.
Police arrested the school principal for alleged breach of communal harmony and initiated proceedings under Section 127 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) against him, he said.
He added that Ansari was granted bail and later released on the same day.
