Indian Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu was Monday heckled by pro-Khalistani elements during his visit to the Hicksville Gurdwara in Long Island, New York, reported news agency ANI.

The Ambassador had gone to the Gurdwara to offer prayers on the occasion of Gurpurab.

Advertisement

According to a purported video shared on various social media accounts, a group of pro-Khalistani elements can be seen confronting Sandhu and accusing him of plotting to kill Khalistani terrorists Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

They can also be heard saying “you got Hardeep Singh Nijjar murdered”.

Khalistanies tried to heckle Indian Ambassador @SandhuTaranjitS with basless Questions for his role in the failed plot to assassinate Gurpatwant, (SFJ) and Khalistan Referendum campaign.

Himmat Singh who led the pro Khalistanies at Hicksville Gurdwara in New York also accused… pic.twitter.com/JW5nqMQSxO

— RP Singh National Spokesperson BJP (@rpsinghkhalsa) November 27, 2023

Soon after, Sandhu left the premises in his car while a man raised Khalistani flag outside the Gurudwara.

The latest incident of pro-Khalistani elements disrupting an Indian envoy’s program comes in view of an alleged plot to kill proscribed Sikhs for Justice founder Pannun.

According to a report published by the UK daily Financial Times, “US authorities thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States and issued a warning to India over concerns the government in New Delhi was involved.”

The report named SFJ founder Pannun, who was booked by India’s anti-terror probe agency NIA over his video threatening to fliers of Air India. Earlier today, the NIA also conducted raids on several premises linked to the Sikh extremist’s SFJ in Punjab.

White House spokesperson Adrienne Watson, when asked about the FT report, said that India “expressed surprise and concern” and “stated that activity of this nature was not their policy.”

“We understand the Indian government is further investigating this issue and will have more to say about it in the coming days. We have conveyed our expectation that anyone deemed responsible should be held accountable,” Watson was quoted as saying by Reuters.

This comes just two months after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Ottawa has evidence of “credible allegations” linking agents of Indian government to the murder of another Canadian Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June early this year.

While India rejected Canadian PM’s claims as “absurd and motivated”, the issue triggered a massive diplomatic row between Canada and India.