S Jaishankar responds to US envoy's 'red line' remark on Pannun issue

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday asserted that India's national security interests are involved in its investigation into the alleged involvement of a government official in the assassination plot aimed at Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

"It is something we are investigating as we believe our own national security interests are involved in that investigation," he told reporters, replying to a question about US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti's statement that the involvement of a government official in an assassination bid on the citizen of another country is an "unacceptable red line".

Jaishankar said the US ambassador will say what he feels is the thinking or position of his government.

"The position of my government is that in this particular case, there has been certain information provided to us which we are investigating," he said, adding that India's own security interest is involved in this.

"So, as and when we have something to say on the investigation we would be very glad to speak about it. At this point, beyond the fact that there is an investigation going on, we have nothing more to say," the external affairs minister said.

To a question about Indians getting caught up in the Ukraine conflict after being taken to Russia on job promises, he said India has taken up the matter "very very strongly" with the Russian government.

"We are trying to get all these people back to India safely," he said.

Last month, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that several Indians had been "duped" to work with the Russian Army and New Delhi had strongly taken up the matter with Moscow for their early release. He had appealed to Indian nationals to not get "swayed" by offers made by agents for support jobs with the Russian Army, saying it is fraught with danger and risk to life.

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