According to an agency report, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, when asked about a report by the Washington Post claiming that India was trying to adopt the policies of Russia and Saudi Arabia, said, “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.”
“Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable. Washington lacks understanding of India’s national mentality and history and continues to make unfounded accusations about religious freedoms in India.”
Accusations reflect US’s India disrespect: Russia spokesperson
India had earlier formed a committee in Nov last year to probe the US allegations and said the information shared by US authorities had a bearing on India’s own security too, but strongly refuted the claims in the Post report, saying it made “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputations on a serious matter and that an investigation into the case was underway.
The Washington Post report had identified an Indian govt official who allegedly ordered the hit on Khalistani separatist and US national Pannun. The report also shared the US “assessment” that top Indian security officials, including then RAW chief Samant Goel, approved the plot. “Regular unfounded accusations by the US against New Delhi… we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states of violating religious freedoms. These 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,” Maria Zakharova further said on the matter.
Describing the interference as a “colonial period mentality”, the Russian spokesperson accused the White House of complicating the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “The reason is that they try to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the (ongoing) parliamentary elections. That is part of meddling into India’s internal affairs,” RT news quoted Zakharova as saying. PM Modi had spoken about efforts by foreign actors to influence Indian polls.
