In a major embarrassment for India on the global stage, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is absent from the official delegation accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his meeting with United States President Joe Biden in Delaware.
Doval, typically a key figure in high-level diplomatic engagements, was missing from the list of senior Indian officials released by the White House. Meanwhile, Biden was joined by his counterpart, Jake Sullivan, alongside other top US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti.
On the Indian side, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Ambassador Vinay Kwatra, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri were all part of Modi’s delegation.
Doval’s exclusion from this critical diplomatic meeting has sparked speculation. While the National Security Advisor usually accompanies the Prime Minister on such significant visits, his absence this time has left many wondering if there were underlying reasons for him staying back.
The absence coincides with a civil lawsuit filed in the US against Doval and other Indian officials by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Canadian-American leader of Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
Pannun has accused officials from the Government of India of plotting to assassinate him. The lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York names Doval, former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Goel, intelligence agent Vikram Yadav, and Nikhil Gupta, an imprisoned businessman, as co-conspirators.
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New Delhi has dismissed the lawsuit as “completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated,” citing Pannun’s extremist background. Despite this, the timing of the legal action and Doval’s absence have raised further speculation.
Media reports have stated that Doval’s non-participation in the US visit may be linked to the ongoing Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, hinting at his involvement in overseeing security matters related to the sensitive region.
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