A US criminal indictment recently revealed an alleged plot connected to the Indian government to carry out multiple assassinations in North America. The indictment accuses Indian national Nikhil Gupta of attempting to arrange a killing in New York, linked to a case that strained Canada-India relations. The targets included Sikh separatist activists, sparking concerns about potential implications for India's Sikh minority and prompting high-level inquiries from the Indian government.
In this week’s episode, Lisa Curtis and Sumit Ganguly joined us to discuss these recent assassination allegations and their consequences for U.S-India relations, India’s standing in geopolitics, Indian foreign policy, and Indo-Pacific security.
Lisa Curtis, of the Center for New American Security (CNAS), discusses the geopolitical implications and India's handling of the allegations, which potentially pose questions about India's commitment to democracy and potentially impact on US-India collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, notably in countering China.
Dr. Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University, highlights diplomatic challenges, India's role in the Indo-Pacific, and domestic concerns related to secularism. The incident has introduced a degree of friction to US-India relations, especially as India's global significance continues to grow. Responses to respective Canadian and US allegations have also revealed the varying importance of these relationships, as well as the general position of all three parties in the global sphere.
Major challenges for India include countering the China threat, maintaining domestic stability, and developing a coherent strategy for dealing with its neighbors. Domestically, India faces challenges regarding its commitment to secularism.
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