The News
The US Department of Justice has charged an Indian official with allegedly plotting the murder of a Sikh separatist in New York.
Federal prosecutors alleged that Vikash Yadav — a former member of India’s RAW intelligence agency — paid a hitman to murder a dual American and Canadian citizen who was a member of a group advocating for an independent Sikh state carved out of India.
Yadav was also allegedly involved in the 2023 assassination of a Sikh separatist in Vancouver, Canada, which has since led to the expulsion of six Indian diplomats from Canada. In turn, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and railed against the allegations, leading some experts to suggest New Delhi may similarly criticize the US charges.
SIGNALS
India may be on a ‘longer, bloodier campaign’ than previously thought
The Justice Department’s charge “paints a chilling portrait of a government aspiring to kill critics who live in North America,” The New York Times wrote, echoing Canadian officials’ allegations. “In a nutshell, Canada accuses the Modi government of running Putin-style hit squads against its opponents in that country,” Indian outlet The Wire wrote. One Indian intelligence agent allegedly told a US undercover agent that “we have so many targets,” suggesting the alleged assassination attempt is part of a “longer, bloodier campaign” against Sikh separatists abroad, the Times wrote.
Allegations raise tensions between India and North American countries
The US charges mark the first time the Indian government has been directly implicated in the allegations, and could significantly strain the relationship between the US and India, The Washington Post wrote. New Delhi and Washington have become increasingly friendly as both seek to counter China’s influence in Asia, and the new charges were reportedly delayed because Washington wanted New Delhi to carry out its own investigation. However, US government officials have expressed concern that India’s inquiry was a “whitewash,” the outlet reported. Meanwhile, Indian and Canadian relations have soured, with New Delhi making its position to Ottawa clear: “Will the strong words used by [New Delhi] to denounce Canada… now be directed at the US?” Siddharth Varadarajan of The Wire wrote on social media.