Pannun ‘Murder’ Plot to Democracy, Minorities & CAA: 10 Times India Slammed Western Media

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday dismissed Washington Post’s (WaPo) report that alleged a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) official’s involvement in the purported failed assassination attempt against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun as “speculative and irresponsible”.

The report in the US newspaper claimed that R&AW officer Vikram Yadav gave instructions to the hit team to eliminate the legal counsel of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who is a prominent leader of the separatist movement. “US intelligence agencies have assessed that the operation targeting Pannun was approved by the R&AW chief at the time, Samant Goel,” the report said.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rubbished it saying, “The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter…There is an ongoing investigation of the High Level Committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others. Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful.”

A look at the times India dismissed reports in the Western media:

1. APRIL 26, 2024: India rebuffed a US State Department report, alleging human rights abuses, stating the report is “deeply biased and reflects a poor understanding” of the largest democracy in the world. The response came a few days after the State Department’s annual human rights assessment alleged “numerous instances” in which the government and its allies “allegedly pressured or harassed media outlets critical of the government.”
2. APRIL 24: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar criticised the Western media over unfair criticism of India, saying that they act as “political players” in the country’s elections. “I get a lot of noises from the Western press. If they criticise our democracy, it’s not because they lack information, it is because they think they are also political players in our election,” the minister said, while delivering an address on “Foreign Policy the India Way: From Diffidence to Confidence” in Hyderabad. “I read an article today where some Western media said, it is so hot in India, why are they holding elections at this time? I read that article and I wanted to say, in that heat my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout in the best record.”
3. MARCH 28: Underlining that legal processes in the country are only driven by the rule of law, India rejected the comments made by the US State Department as “completely unacceptable” and added that fellow democracies should respect the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. MEA’s strong rebuttal came as the United States stuck to its remarks on Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, despite India summoning a senior US diplomat to lodge its protest. The country has also commented on the freezing of bank accounts of the Congress.
4. MARCH 15: The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019 is an internal matter of India that aligns with the nation’s inclusive tradition, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, as it rebuffed US concerns as “misplaced, misinformed and unwarranted”. “The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 is an internal matter of India and is in keeping with India’s inclusive traditions and a long-standing commitment to human rights. The act grants a safe haven to persecuted minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who have entered India on or before 31st December 2014,” MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The US had said it was concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in India and is closely monitoring its implementation.
5. NOVEMBER 22, 2023: Top intelligence sources in India rubbished as “baseless” the Financial Times’ report on November 22, which, citing unnamed sources, alleged that the US authorities had thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in their country and reportedly issued a warning to India over concerns that the government was involved. The MEA said India takes inputs from the US seriously.
6. JUNE 26: During the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States, former US President Barack Obama accused the Indian premier of not protecting the rights of Muslims in India. In his interview with CNN, he said, “Ensuring the safety of the Muslim minority in India, where Hindus comprise the majority would be a topic worth discussing in Modi’s meeting with President Joe Biden.” Many BJP leaders back home, including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma slammed the former US president and held a mirror up to him.
7. MAY 7: India has the most uncontrollable press, said Jaishankar, in response to a question about the low ranking of India on the press index. During the interactive session on the Foreign Policy of the Modi Government, Jaishankar said, “I was amazed at our number. I thought we had the most uncontrollable press, and somebody is getting something fundamentally wrong.
8. APRIL 3: Jaishankar took a potshot at the West, saying it has a “bad habit” of commenting on others. “They (Western nations) somehow think it is some kind of God-given right,” he added. Jaishankar was responding to a question on Germany and United States’ remarks on the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.
9. FEBRUARY 18: Jaishankar on Saturday hit back at British entrepreneur George Soros, for his previously made remark on the Adani-Hindenburg report. Jaishankar called him “old, rich and dangerous” and said he is only trying to invest resources in shaping false narratives. “Mr Soros is an old, rich opinionated person sitting in New York who still thinks that his views should determine how the entire world works,” he said during a press briefing.
10. JANUARY 20: The MEA termed a BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi — titled ‘India: The Modi Question’ — a “propaganda piece” designed to push a “discredited narrative”. The series deals with the riots that broke out in Gujarat when Modi was the chief minister. Slamming the documentary, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “The bias, lack of objectivity and continuing colonial mindset is blatantly visible.” “It makes us wonder about the purpose of this exercise and the agenda behind it,” he said, adding that “frankly we do not wish to dignify such efforts”.

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