The United States has continued to raise concerns about “transnational repression” by India, even after a change in leadership at the White House. Its latest annual human rights report, released by the State Department on Tuesday, cites the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and an alleged plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York in 2023.
According to CNN, the report was largely prepared before Donald Trump began his second term as president but was later revised, with some countries led by US-friendly leaders reportedly receiving softer treatment.
On the Nijjar and Pannun cases, the report states: “The (Indian) government was alleged by other governments, diaspora communities, and human rights groups to have killed, or used violence or threats of violence, against individuals in other countries for reprisal.” It adds that while India has denied the allegations made by Canada’s former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the US report documents the status of the Pannun case domestically.
It also records claims from civil society groups, diaspora members, academics, and journalists who say they have faced threats, harassment, arbitrary surveillance, visa denials, and other forms of coercion.
The situation in Manipur is also highlighted, alongside allegations of extra-judicial killings, censorship, prolonged detention without charges, and forced disappearances. The report notes that the government took “minimal credible action” to hold officials accountable for human rights abuses, though it does not cite specific cases.
India’s external affairs ministry has not responded to the report.
