Indian and Kashmiri American Civil Society Organizations React to News About Indian Intelligence Involvement in Attempted Killing of American Citizen

Washington, D.C. (April 30, 2024) – The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), along with Hindus for Human Rights, Americans for Kashmir, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Sikh Coalition, today released a statement in response to the Washington Post’s exposé on the involvement of the Indian government’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in the attempted assassination of an American citizen in New York.  

The full statement can be read below: 

“In light of RAW’s role in the attempted killing of an American citizen, we urge President Biden and his administration to reassess its relationship with RAW, including any intelligence sharing agreements and weapons transfers. This includes a re-evaluation of the $4 billion drone sale and whether or not RAW should be a party to this sale. 

The Washington Post reported that RAW Agent Vikram Yadav orchestrated the attempted assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and that former RAW Secretary Samant Goel and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were likely aware of these plots. Previously, the Washington Post reported that RAW agent Lt. Col. Dibya Satpathy is behind an infamous conspiracy theory website, Disinfo Labs, whose information has been used to target and harass American critics of the Indian government.

Mounting evidence suggests that RAW has been essential to carrying out a pattern of consistent intimidation against Americans; there is no guarantee that any intelligence sharing agreement that includes them will not have severe consequences for the safety of Indian and Kashmiri Americans. Moreover, we believe that any security deal with the Indian government violates Section 6 of the Arms Export Control Act, which explicitly prohibits arms transfers to countries who engage in a “consistent pattern of intimidation or harassment directed against individuals in the United States.” As media and civil rights organizations, like us, have chronicled extensively, the Indian government fits that pattern. 

We are also calling on Congress to include, in the National Defense Authorization Act, a reporting requirement for the Indian government’s role in acts and patterns of intimidation before the US government pursues further weapons deals or intelligence sharing agreements with the Indian government. 

Unless there are real consequences for the Indian government’s continued indulgence in transnational repression, our communities will continue to face attacks on their First Amendment rights and physical safety. Moreover, allowing the Indian government to continually attack Indian and Kashmiri Americans for their beliefs undermines basic US national security interests and democratic values. Our community, like any other, deserves the full protection of the U.S. government when it comes to our civil rights and our lives.”