US thwarts plot to kill Sikh separatist on American soil the target was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-Canada dual national.

According to the White House, the US raised an alleged plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil at the “highest levels” of Indian diplomacy.

India has designated Mr Pannun as a terrorist for his advocacy of an independent Sikh homeland.

Earlier this month, Canada suggested India may have been responsible for the murder of another Sikh separatist.

US authorities have thwarted a conspiracy to kill Mr Pannun, according to the Financial Times, citing unnamed sources. They have also warned India over concerns it was involved.

In response to the allegations, Indian officials expressed surprise and concern, according to the White House.

In a statement, spokesperson Adrienne Watson said that this type of activity was not part of their policy.

According to our understanding, the Indian government is investigating this issue further and will have more to say about it in the near future.”

According to Watson, the US has “made it clear that we expect anyone deemed responsible to be held accountable”.

Sikhs for Justice, an organization based in the US that supports the Khalistan movement, which calls for an independent homeland for Sikhs from India, is represented by Mr Pannun.

The Khalistan movement was at its peak in the 1980s in the Indian state of Punjab but it has lost steam over time. Punjabi politics has shifted away from the movement, and it is no longer a majority position.

The Ministry of External Affairs of India reported on Wednesday that the US had shared information regarding the nexus between organised crime and drug trafficking.

“India takes such inputs seriously since it impinges on our own national security interests as well,” spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.