India's own 'security interests' involved in Pannun probe: Jaishankar reacts to Eric Garcetti's remark

"It is something we are investigating as we believe our own national security interests are involved in that investigation," he told reporters, when they asked him 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".

Moreover, Jaishankar added that at this point, beyond the fact that there is an investigation going on, we have nothing more to say.

The US ambassador will say what he feels is the thinking or position of his government, he added.

"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.

Last year, the American authorities accused an Indian national of allegedly working with an Indian government employee and agreeing to pay an assassin $1,00,000 to kill New York-based Pannun, a pro-Khalistan terrorist.

Not to cross red line

In an interview last week, US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said the two countries had been working together on the investigation. He, however, in a strongly worded statement, said the proverbial red line shouldn't be crossed between the two countries.

"When people do step over the line saying something will be bombed as opposed to saying somebody shouldn't fly. The United States freedom of speech, we want success for anybody if there's a criminal accusation to actually reach the threshold that would have a successful outcome,” Garcetti was quoted as saying by ANI.

Further, he added that no government employee of any country can be involved in an assassination plot of a foreign citizen.

"I think that's absolutely critical. For any of us, just abstractly, that has to be a red line. No government or government employee can be involved in the alleged assassination of one of your own citizens. That's just an unacceptable red line," Garcetti said. Any country, having an active member of their government involved in a second country trying to assassinate one of their citizens. That's, I think, usually a red line for any country. That's a basic issue of sovereignty. That's a basic issue of rights," he added.

Pannun, who has been in the news for his pro-Khalistan activities, last month put out a poster that is suggestive of violent attacks against Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma. Last November, he said Air India would not be allowed to operate.

Indians taken to Russia to fight in Ukraine conflict

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.

(With inputs from agencies)