Russia Backs India On Pannun Case, says US ‘Making it Harder to Have Election’

On 8 May, the Russian Foreign Ministry released an official statement challenging the US claims of Indian involvement in the foiled assassination plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, citing lack of solid evidence from Washington. Maria Zakharova, an official spokeswoman of the Russian foreign ministry, said, ‘According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable.’ The Russian foreign ministry said that the US has no understanding of the historical context of the development of the Indian state and added that it was ‘disrespecting India as a state.’ ‘I am sure this comes from the neocolonial mentality, the mentality of the colonial period, the period of the slave trade, and imperialism. The reason is that they try to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the (ongoing) general parliamentary elections. That is part of meddling into India’s internal affairs,’ said Zakharova. The US has denied the allegations. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, ‘No, of course, we don't involve ourselves in elections in India as we don't involve ourselves in elections anywhere in the world. Those are decisions for the people of India to make.’ India needs to be very cautious lest it is dragged into a fracas between Russia and the US, like in Ukraine and Iran. Meanwhile, the highest Czech court has stayed the lower courts’ decisions on the extradition of Indian national Nikhil Gupta (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 18, Story 1).