Senior U.S. officials met with Sikh advocates on Thursday to discuss threats facing Sikhs in the United States, including a foiled murder plot against a prominent activist last year, several attendees told Reuters.
The meeting with senior White House and U.S. intelligence officials came two days before President Joe Biden is to meet India Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The United States has been pushing India to investigate the murder plot against dual U.S.-Canada citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, as it continues its own criminal investigation into India’s possible involvement.
The officials briefed a group of Sikh advocates about the government’s ongoing conversations with India in a closed-door meeting organized by the National Security Council, according to the attendees.
The White House and the Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Biden will have a one-on-one discussion with Modi on the sidelines of a joint meeting of the United States, India, Japan and Australia on Saturday. India has featured prominently in Washington’s stepped-up diplomacy to deepen strategic partnerships aimed at countering the influence of China and Russia.
While the U.S. has expressed concern over the Sikh incident, it has so far emphasized the importance of the relationship with New Delhi, given shared security interests.
Senior U.S. officials on Thursday sought to assure the Sikh community that Washington remained committed to protecting Americans from acts of “transnational repression” – a term that refers to efforts by a government to harass, threaten or harm people on foreign soil.
Senior U.S. officials on Thursday sought to assure the Sikh community that Washington remained committed to protecting Americans from acts of “transnational repression” – a term that refers to efforts by a government to harass, threaten or harm people on foreign soil.