India asks U.S. to probe pro-Khalistani groups

India raised its demand that pro-Khalistani outfits in the U.S. be investigated for instigating violence against India, as senior officials met for the India-U.S. The Indian delegation was led by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and the U.S. delegation was led by Kristie Canegallo, Acting Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security According to the statement, the two sides also spoke about the need to curb illegal immigration and human trafficking, money laundering, cybercrimes, and misuse of the cyber domain for illegal activities, including terror financing. The official statements made no mention of the ongoing investigation in the U.S. over the “assassin for hire” case where U.S. agencies have accused an Indian national purportedly working for a senior Indian security official to organise the assassination of Sikhs for Justice chief and pro-Khalistan separatist U.S. national Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. On Monday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had said that countries that “do not investigate and take action” against those attacking Indian embassies risk their own reputation, naming U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. “We expect the culprits in the attack in our consulate in San Francisco to be brought to book; we expect action against people who stormed into our high commission in London; and we expect action against people who threatened our diplomats,” Mr. Jaishankar said at a summit organised by TV9 Network. The Homeland Security Dialogue was first held in 2011, and after a gap of some years was re-established in 2021 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Indian Embassy in Washington to discuss issues such “as cybersecurity, emerging technology and addressing violent extremism”.