The Chhattisgarh

Tag: US

  • Pannun Assassination Case: US Charges Former Indian RAW Officer In Murder Plot Of Sikh Separatist Leader. world news

    The US Justice Department has charged Vikas Yadav, a former officer of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), with directing an assassination plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent Sikh separatist leader who advocates for the creation of Khalistan.

    Pannun, a US-Canadian dual citizen, has been a vocal figure pushing for a separate Sikh homeland, which India has labeled a serious security threat. RAW Official Charged with Murder-For-Hire and Money Laundering

    According to a report by PTI, Yadav faces three charges, including murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is alleged to have conspired with Nikhil Gupta, a co-conspirator who was arrested in Czechoslovakia last year and is currently in a US jail following extradition. Yadav, however, “remains at large,” according to the US Department of Justice.

    Denial of Involvement by Indian Government

    The Indian government has denied any involvement in the assassination plot. Following the allegations, New Delhi set up an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.

    According to the US State Department, cooperation between the two nations on this issue has been ongoing, and India has updated the US on its investigation. US officials have expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation. Indian Official No Longer Employed by Government

    In a meeting between Indian and US officials, members of India’s Committee of Inquiry were informed that Yadav is no longer an employee of the Indian government. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller described the meeting as “productive” and confirmed that both sides had updated each other on their respective investigations.

    Assassination Plot

    The unsealed 18-page indictment contains detailed information about the assassination plot. It includes a photograph of Yadav in military dress and a picture showing two individuals exchanging money in a car in New York, which federal prosecutors allege was payment for the planned killing. On June 9, 2023, an advance of $15,000 was reportedly paid for the murder.

    Connection to Modi’s State Visit to the US

    The plot coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, which took place on June 22, 2023. The indictment claims that Yadav instructed the hired killer not to carry out the assassination during or immediately before the state visit.

    Link to Nijjar’s Assassination in Canada

    The indictment also reveals a connection between this plot and the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada during the same period. Communications between Yadav, Gupta, and the alleged assassin suggest coordination between the two incidents.

    With Inputs From PTI

  • Expect India And See It As Leader Within Quad: US official | world news

    Lauding India’s role in the Quad, the US has said that it expects and sees India as a leader within the Quad and expressed gratitude for its leadership.

    While addressing a press briefing, US National Security Council Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania, Mira Rapp-Hooper, said that the US’ Indo-Pacific strategic mentions that it seeks New Delhi’s role as a leader in the region and is increasingly partnered with Washington, D.C.

    When asked about India’s role in Quad, Mira Rapp-Hooper said, “When it comes to the role that we expect India to play, we expect and indeed see India as a leader within the Quad. I think, the best encapsulation of, you know, the way we think about India’s role is captured in our Indo-Pacific strategy, where we say that the United States seeks an India that is increasingly a leader in the region and increasingly partnered with the United States.”

    “The Quad has been an ideal venue through which, through which rather we can work together because it not only allows for the critical exchange of strategic views where, of course, we are, as I say, increasingly aligned, but it also allows us to identify opportunities and priorities that not only matter to the United States or its traditional treaty allies like Australia and Japan, but really matter to India. course is a huge strategic priority for the government in Delhi,” she added.

    Mira Rapp-Hooper said that this year’s Quad Summit was scheduled to be held in India. However, she added that the decision to change the venue was taken considering the schedules of the four leaders. She stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to swap host years with the US and US expects Quad leaders to meet in India in 2025.

    Asked whether the next Quad Summit will take place in India, she said, “Yes, we do expect next year’s Quad Summit to take place in India. When we were planning for this year’s Quad Summit. India was, exactly as you say, scheduled But as we looked at all four of these leaders schedules, it became increasingly clear that the best way to make sure that they met and have the time that they wanted to have these deep discussions would be this weekend here in the United States. So, Prime Minister Modi graciously agreed to swap host years with us and we do expect all four Quad leaders to meet in India next year.”

    PM Narendra Modi will take part in the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, which is being hosted by US President Joe Biden on September 21. Following the request of the US side to host the Quad Summit this year, India has agreed to host the next Quad Summit in 2025.

    Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries–Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

    Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Thursday that PM Modi’s upcoming visit to the US will be an opportunity to have a substantive engagement with US President Joe Biden, where they will have the opportunity to review the comprehensive global strategic partnership between India and the United States.

    While addressing a press briefing on PM Modi’s visit to the US, Misri said “…This is also going to be kind of a farewell event in so far as the Quad is concerned for President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida of Japan and therefore, the Quad event provides the Prime Minister with an opportunity to thank both leaders for their leadership in giving momentum and salience to the Quad partnership.”

    He said, “There will be an opportunity to have a substantive engagement between Prime Minister and President Biden where they will have the opportunity to review the comprehensive global strategic partnership between India and the United States which today covers almost every aspect of human endeavor through the 50 plus engagements and bilateral dialogue mechanisms that we have between the two sides.”

    “We also expect to have bilateral meetings with the leaders of Japan and Australia,” he added.

  • ‘Slaughterhouse, Not Prison…’: Accused Nikhil Gupta On His US Detainment In Pannun Murder Plot, Calls Case ‘Fabricated’ | world news

    Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national accused of being involved in a plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in the United States, has spoken out for the first time since his detention in Prague last year. In an interview with The Sunday Guardian, Gupta claimed that he is innocent and has been framed in a politically motivated case. Gupta was arrested in Prague last year by the FBI and later extradited to New York, is currently facing intense conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Brooklyn.

    Gupta alleged that the case against him is fabricated and meant to affect the elections in India. He described the prison conditions as a “slaughterhouse” and claimed that he has been subjected to torture and intimidation by officials. “I am an innocent man who has been wrongly framed,” Gupta said. “There is no actual case against me. All of it is fabricated and politically motivated. It was only meant to affect the elections in India.”

    While speaking to The Sunday Guardian, he claimed that the US authorities are targeting him to exploit divisions within the Sikh community and influence political scenarios both in the US and India.

    Gupta denied any involvement in illegal activities and claimed that he has never met any Indian government officials or intelligence agents. He also denied any criminal cases filed against him in India or elsewhere.

    “I have always been a businessman,” Gupta said. “I have been involved in various small businesses. I have worked in mining, silica sand, non-ferrous metal import, brass handicrafts, and marble export. I have never been involved in any illegal or unlawful activities.”

    Gupta claimed that he has been treated poorly by officials in the US and has not received any legal support. He also alleged that he has been kept in solitary confinement and has been subjected to physical and mental torture.

    “The treatment from the officials is such that they expect me to agree with whatever they say,” Gupta said. “They have a hundred ways to make anyone comply through force, intimidation, and dirty tactics.”

    Gupta’s family has not received any support from the Indian government, and he has been left to face the ordeal alone.

    “I am more concerned about my family than myself,” Gupta said. “I am worried about how they are managing over there. Our savings have been spent on the legal fees that I had to incur in Czech and the US. I am still waiting for a response on my request for a public defender to represent me. “

  • ‘That’s Laughable’: State Dept On Allegations Of US Govt’s Involvement In Sheikh Hasina’s Resignation | world news

    The United States Department of State strongly rejected the allegations of the government’s involvement in former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, terming them ‘laughable’ and ‘absolutely false’ claims. “That’s laughable. Any implication that the United States was involved in Sheikh Hasina’s resignation is absolutely false,” Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US Department of State, Vedant Patel, said in a press briefing on Tuesday (local time).

    Patel further said that a lot of disinformation has been seen in recent weeks regarding the current happenings in Bangladesh.

    “We have seen a lot of disinformation in recent weeks and we were made incredibly committed to strengthening information and integrity across the regional ecosystem, especially our partners in South Asia,” he said.

    Recently, in an interview with ANI, Michael Kugelman, a US -based Foreign Policy expert, and Director of the South Asia Institute at The Wilson Center, refuted allegations of foreign interference behind the mass uprising that led to Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, stating he had Not seen any ‘plausible evidence’ to support these claims.

    He noted that the Hasina government’s harsh crackdown on protesters escalated the movement. “My view has been very simple. I see this as a crisis that was driven by purely internal factors, by students who were unhappy about a particular issue, job quotas that they didn’t like and they were worried about the government. Sheikh Hasina’s The government cracked down very hard on the students and that then turned the movement into something much bigger,” Kugelman said.

    Kugelman dismissed allegations from Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who claimed foreign interference behind the protests, saying that the unrest was driven by “internal factors.”

    “Now, you know, when there is a conspiracy theory that is rooted in issues of foreign influence, one cannot disprove such type of allegation. Also, at the same time, one cannot conclusively prove it. I think the onus, is the responsibility to provide a plausible explanation for how it can be true. I am yet to hear that from Sheikh Hasina’s son, from anyone,” he added.

    Bangladesh has been witnessing a fluid political situation ever since protests started across the country, leading to Sheikh Hasina’s resignation from the post of Prime Minister on August 5. The protests, led mainly by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, evolved into anti-government demonstrations.

    A large number of people protested outside the White House in Washington on Friday last week against alleged violence targeting minority Hindus and others in Bangladesh since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster.

    Protesters carried American and Bangladeshi flags and held posters demanding that Bangladeshi minorities be “saved.” They chanted slogans of “We want justice” and called for peace amid the recent surge in violence.

  • Israel PM Netanyahu Warns Hezbollah Will ‘Pay Heavy Price’ After Golan Heights Attack Kills 11 | world news

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a warning to Hezbollah, stating that they will ‘pay a heavy price’ for the rocket attack on Saturday that resulted in the deaths of 11 young people in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights region, reported AP.

    According to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu told a local community leader, “Israel will not let this murderous attack go unanswered, and Hezbollah will face a heavy price for it, a price it has never paid before.”

    Israeli authorities reported that a rocket strike on Saturday at a soccer field resulted in the deaths of at least 11 children and teenagers. This incident marks the deadliest attack on an Israeli target along the northern border since the conflict with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

    Israel accused Hezbollah of carrying out the strike in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights, however Hezbollah quickly denied any involvement.

    Netanyahu’s office announced that he would cut short his visit to the United States by several hours, though it did not specify his return time. Upon his arrival, he plans to convene the security cabinet, reported AP.

    The White House National Security Council in a statement cited by AP said the US “will continue to support efforts to end these terrible attacks along the Blue Line, which must be a top priority. Our support for Israel’s security is iron-clad and unwavering against all Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah.”

  • NATO Summit To Discuss With Indo-Pacific Partners Resilience, Cybersecurity: US Official |

    The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its Indo-Pacific partners, including South Korea, plan to discuss resilience, support for Ukraine, disinformation, cybersecurity and emerging technologies during their summit in Washington next week, a senior US administration official said.

    The NATO summit is set to take place in the US capital from Tuesday to Thursday. The leaders of the alliance’s four Indo-Pacific partners (IP4) – South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have been invited to the summit that marks the 75th anniversary of NATO’s founding, reported Yonhap news agency.

    “We are bringing together some of our closest non-NATO partners to have a discussion around issues like resilience, cyber, disinformation, and technology,” the official said in a virtual briefing.

    He added, “This particular grouping of IP4 as we call them in NATO lingo — Australia, Japan, New Zealand and ROK (Republic of Korea) ,These are some of our closest partners that we work with in the region”.

    The NATO summit involving Indo-Pacific partners is set to take place on Thursday.

    The official did not elaborate on the issue of resilience. In a NATO context, resilience refers to the capacity to prepare for, resist, respond to and quickly recover from shocks and disruptions across the full spectrum of threats, according to an article on NATO’s Allied Command Transformation website.

    At the NATO gathering, there will be a “strong” demonstration of US and allies’ support for Ukraine, the official said, highlighting Washington’s plan to announce new steps to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and military capabilities.

    “Together, the Washington summit will send a strong signal to Putin that if he thinks he can outlast the coalition of countries supporting Ukraine, he’s dead wrong,” he said.

    “We are also sending an important message to the rest of the world, including through our partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, as we stand together united and in support of democratic values,” he added.

    The summit comes amid growing concerns about Biden’s mental health and physical fitness, which was called into question again following a poor debate performance last week.

    Observers said that Biden is likely to capitalise on the summit to highlight that he is up for the job and capable of leading the nation for another four year term.

    “Foreign leaders have seen Joe Biden up close and personal for the last three years. They know who they are dealing with and they know how effective he’s been,” the official said.

    “What the president has done over the last three years is to reinvigorate the NATO alliance, including expanding it, making it more capable. He has stood up to President Putin’s unprecedented aggression against Ukraine by mobilising a coalition of a minimum of 50 allies and partners to provide capabilities to Ukraine.

  • US President Biden Increases Tariffs On Imports Of Electric Vehicles, Other Goods From China | world news

    New Delhi: US President Joe Biden has directed his Trade Representative to increase tariffs on USD 18 billion of imports from China, including semiconductors, solar cells, batteries, and critical minerals to ‘protect’ American workers and businesses, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.

    The White House said that the decision has come in response to China’s ‘unfair trade practices’ and to counteract the resulting harms.

    “China’s unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports. In response to China’s unfair trade practices and to counteract the resulting harms, today, President Biden is directing his Trade Representative to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on USD 18 billion of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses,” the White House statement read.

    The statement on hiked tariffs on imports from China also noted that the Chinese government has used unfair and non-market practices for too long now.

    “China’s forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft have contributed to its control of 70, 80, and even 90 percent of global production for the critical inputs necessary for our technologies, infrastructure, energy, and health care–creating unacceptable risks to America’s supply. chains and economic security,” the White House said.

    “Furthermore, these same non-market policies and practices contribute to China’s growing overcapacity and export surges that threaten to significantly harm American workers, businesses, and communities,” it added.

    The US and the European Union have often expressed their concern over “industrial overcapacity” in China that is impacting their domestic companies.

    US Treasury Secretary Janet L Yellen met with the Economic Working Group (EWG) and Financial Working Group (FWG) between the US and China in April this year following her trip to Beijing and Guangzhou. “The US delegation continued to express concerns about China’s non-market practices and industrial overcapacity,” the US Treasury Department had said after the meeting.

    “Both sides agreed to further discuss these issues,” according to a readout on the meeting.

    In a meeting between Xi Jinping and President Emmanuel Macron of France, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, urged the visiting Chinese President to address “the wave of subsidized exports flowing from his nation’s factories into Western countries,” NYT reported.

    “These subsidized products — such as the electric vehicles or, for example, steel — are flooding the European market,” von der Leyen said. “The world cannot absorb China’s surplus production,” von der Leyen was cited in the US daily.

  • US Accuses Russia Of Violating International Chemical Weapons Ban In Ukraine | world news

    The United States on Wednesday claimed that Russia is violating the international chemical weapons ban. The US accused Russia of using, chloropicrin, a choking agent on Ukrainian military and using riot control agents “as a method of warfare” in Ukraine.

    “The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” reported Reuters quoting the US State Department statement. Russia has violated the Chemical Weapons Convention’s (CWC) ban on employing riot control agents as a means of warfare, according to the statement.

    As per Reuters, the Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment, regarding these allegations.

    What is Chloropicrin?

    Last used during World War I, Chloropicrin has been designated as a prohibited choking agent by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), headquartered in The Hague. This organization was established to enforce and oversee adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of 1993. During World War I, German forces deployed this gas against Allied troops, marking one of the earliest instances of chemical warfare.

    While civilians typically can evade riot control gases during protests, soldiers confined to trenches without protective masks must either retreat amid enemy gunfire or face the possibility of suffocation.

    Use Of Chemical Weapons

    As per a report by Reuters published earlier this month, The Ukrainian military claimed that Russia has intensified its offensive by increasing its illegal use of riot control agents while advancing in eastern Ukraine.

    Besides chloropicrin, Russian troops are reported to have employed grenades containing CS and CN gases. The Ukrainian military claims that over 500 of its soldiers have required treatment due to exposure to these toxic substances, with one casualty reportedly resulting from suffocation due to tear gas.

    Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)

    The CWC prohibits making and using chemical weapons. It also tells all 193 countries that signed it, including Russia and the US, to get rid of any banned chemicals they have.

    The State Department was supposed to tell the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), its determination that Russia broke the CWC.

    Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for breaking the rules in meetings at the OPCW. But the OPCW says it hasn’t been asked to start looking into the use of banned stuff in Ukraine.

  • US Universities Rocked By Protests Amid Israel-Gaza Conflict; 282 Arrested

    The NYPD arrested a total of 282 individuals at Columbia University and the City College of New York, from Tuesday night until Wednesday morning.

  • Pannun Assassination Plot: US Says ‘Regularly Working’ With India On Probe Amid Allegations Of RAW Official’s Involvement |

    New Delhi: A day after India rejected the Washington Post report related to Khalistani terrorist Gupatwant Singh Pannu’s assassination plot, the United States said it is ‘regularly working’ with New Delhi in probing the accusations concerning the alleged plot to kill the separatist Sikh leader. India has vehemently dismissed the allegations of involvement of a RAW official in the plot, asserting that the report levied ‘unwarranted and unsubstantiated’ imputations on a serious matter.  It added that an investigation into the case is underway. 

    As per the news agency PTI, US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “We continue to expect accountability from the Government of India based on the results of the Indian inquiry committee’s work, and we are regularly working with them and enquiring for additional updates.” 

    Patel stated that they would also persist in expressing their concerns directly to the Indian Government at senior levels. However, beyond that, Patel mentioned that they wouldn’t delve deeper into the matter and would defer to the Department of Justice. This was in response to a question regarding The Washington Post report, which identified the RAW officer as Vikram Yadav and alleged his involvement in the plot to assassinate Pannun. 

    India Slams US Daily’s Report 

    External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal denounced the report by the US daily on Tuesday, stating that it made unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter. Jaiswal further mentioned that a high-level inquiry committee, established by New Delhi to examine the information provided by the US regarding the alleged plot, was still investigating the case.  

    Jaiswal in New Delhi said that speculative and irresponsible comments regarding the ongoing investigation were not helpful. 

    India Refuted Alleged International Conspiracy 

    Last November, US prosecutors accused Nikhil Gupta, an Indian citizen, of teaming up with an Indian government worker in a failed plan to harm Pannun. Pannun is wanted in India for terrorism and holds citizenship in both the US and Canada. He’s been labeled a terrorist by the Union Home Ministry under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.  

    The claims about this plot surfaced after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Indian involvement in the killing of a separatist named Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last June. India strongly refuted these allegations.  

    On December 7, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Parliament that India set up an inquiry to investigate the information provided by the US regarding the Pannun case because it relates to national security.