‘No role for speculative comments and gratuitous advice by third parties’: MEA on China's Pannun comments

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (Photo: MEA YouTube)

India and the US, as two countries adhering to the rule of law, can address any bilateral issues between them, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday, adding that there is no role for speculative comments and gratuitous advice by third parties.

The statement came in response to recent comments made by China regarding the Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun episode. The MEA asserted that speculative remarks and unsolicited advice from unrelated third parties are unwarranted and unnecessary in this context.

The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said “India and the United States, as two countries adhering to the rule of law, are capable of dealing with any issues that we have between ourselves. There is no role for any speculative comments and gratuitous advice by unrelated third parties.”

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship.

As per the US Justice Department indictment, an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, who is currently in custody, has been charged with the murder-for-hire of Pannun.

The US Justice Department had claimed that an Indian government employee, who was not identified in the indictment filed, had recruited the Indian national to hire a hitman to allegedly assassinate Pannun, which was foiled by US authorities.

Last year, India formed a committee to inquire into the allegations of the foiled assassination plot.

In December last year, US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer acknowledged India’s establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate the plot to allegedly kill Pannun in the US.

With inputs from agencies.