The United States on Thursday rejected Russia’s allegation that it tried to interfere in India’s ongoing parliamentary elections.
“Of course, we don't involve ourselves in elections in India as we don't involve ourselves in elections anywhere in the world,” US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in response to a question at a media briefing.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova alleged that the United States was meddling in India's internal affairs and ensuring Lok Sabha elections.
She cited the US Commission on International Religious Freedom’s annual report, dated May 1, to justify the Russian government’s claims. The report flagged India as a “country of particular concern” for the year 2024.
“[There have been] regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi,” Zakharova said at a press briefing.
The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson had alleged that the United States’s accusations were aimed at creating an imbalance in the internal political situation in India and “complicating” the general election.
India’s external affairs ministry on May 2 had described the US Commission on International Religious Freedom as a “biased organisation with a political agenda”.
On Wednesday, Zakharova also commented on a report by The Washington Post that alleged the involvement of a Research and Analysis Wing officer named Vikram Yadav in an alleged foiled plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States.
The report, published on April 30, was the first time that allegations emerged about the identity and affiliation of an individual from within India’s foreign intelligence agency in the Pannun case.
The Russian foreign ministry, however, said that Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the plot against Pannun. “Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable,” the ministry’s spokesperson said.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!