India asks US to list Sikh group as terrorist organisation, Indian source says

By Shivam Patel

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has asked the U.S. to list a Sikh separatist group as a terrorist organisation, an Indian government source said on Tuesday, more than a year after the U.S. said it had foiled a plot with Indian links to kill a leader of the group in the U.S.

Washington went public about the plot in November 2023 and later charged a former Indian spy service officer with directing the plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canada citizen and the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), in an episode that tested growing India-U.S. friendship.

India denied any official connection to the plot, set up a panel to probe Washington's accusations and said in January that the panel had recommended legal action against an unnamed person.

India's request to the U.S. to list SFJ as a terrorist group came during talks between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and visiting U.S. national intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, said the Indian government source, who declined to be identified as the discussions were confidential.

Indian media outlets have also reported the request.

Formed in 2007, SFJ holds referendums to advocate for a separate state for Sikhs called Khalistan in Hindu-majority India.

SFJ was labelled an "unlawful association" by India in 2019, citing its support for extremist and secessionist activities, and Pannun was listed as an "individual terrorist" in 2020.

India has had a diplomatic dispute with Canada over the June 2023 killing of another Sikh separatist there.

SFJ has rejected New Delhi's accusations.

"Who is the terrorist? Is it SFJ, which is peacefully and democratically organizing the Global Khalistan Referendum to liberate Punjab from Indian occupation?" Pannun said in a statement shared with Reuters on Tuesday, referring to the home state of Sikhs in India.

"Or is it (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's India, which engages in violent transnational repression and hires hitmen to assassinate Khalistan Referendum organizers?" he said.

An Indian defence ministry spokesperson declined to comment. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson said they did not have anything to add beyond a statement about the talks between Singh and Gabbard issued by India's defence ministry on Monday, which mentioned deepening security ties but made no mention of SFJ.

Gabbard's team and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

At a geopolitics conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, Gabbard said that during her trip she'd heard from her Indian counterparts "about the very serious concerns that you have here for your own security interests", without elaborating.

(Reporting by Shivam Patel in New Delhi, writing by Hritam Mukherjee; Editing by YP Rajesh and Aidan Lewis)