A US court has summoned the Indian government after Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun filed a civil lawsuit, alleging a plot to murder him. The summons by the US District Court for Southern District of New York names Government of India, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav, and Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta. The summons asks New Delhi and those named to file a reply within 21 days.

The Centre is yet to respond to the summons. Pannu’s X handle, on which he shared a copy of the summons, has been withheld.

In November, the UK newspaper Financial Times reported that the US had thwarted a plot to kill Pannun, who heads the radical outfit, Sikhs for Justice, and holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. Officials in the Joe Biden administration later confirmed this.

In its first response, the External Affairs Ministry said it is a “matter of concern” and stressed that India has launched a high-level probe.

“As regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern. We have said that this is also contrary to government policy,” then MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

In May this year, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said India is investigating the matter, but stressed that it would not impact the “upward trajectory” of India-US ties.

“The United States brought to our attention certain information in good faith because we also believe some of it has implications for our own system,” he said in an interview to news agency PTI.

“We are investigating it. But I do not think the fundamental course of the upward trajectory of India-US is impacted by this at all,” he said.

US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has told NDTV that this matter will not affect India-US ties.

Pannun is known to put out incendiary speeches and threats against Indian leaders and institutions. New Delhi designated him a terrorist in 2020.

In a bid to bring down the number of temporary residents in the country, Canada on Wednesday announced to further reduce the number of study permits it will grant to foreign students and also tightened its foreign worker rules, a move that will impact many Indians.

“We’re granting 35% fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10%,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X.

“Immigration is an advantage for our economy – but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down,” he added.

We’re granting 35% fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10%.

Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 18, 2024

According to immigration department data, Canada approved 5,09,390 in 2023 and 1,75,920 in the first seven months of 2024 and the new move would reduce the number of international study permits issued to 4,37,000 in 2025.

The changes would also limit work permit eligibility for spouses of some students and temporary foreign workers.

The announcement comes as Trudeau’s Liberal government, trailing in the public opinion polls ahead of the federal elections next year, seeks to reduce the number of temporary residents, including international students and foreign workers.

In January, Canada had also placed a two-year cap on international students.

According to Statistics Canada, the biggest jump in immigration numbers comes from temporary residents, especially students and workers, whose ranks have doubled in just two years from 1.4 million in the second quarter of 2022 to 2.8 million in the second quarter of 2024.

Canada has already pledged to reduce the number of temporary residents to 5% of the total population, which was 6.8% in April.

Migrants have been blamed for societal problems including a lack of affordable housing and a ramped-up cost of living in Canada.

How Canada’s New Rules Will Impact Indians

Canada is among the favourite destinations for Indian students. According to the Indian government’s data released last month, about 13.35 lakh Indian students are studying abroad, with about 4.27 lakh in Canada.

Between 2013 and 2022, the number of Indian students moving to Canada to study has seen a massive rise of 260 per cent. 

According to a Reuters report earlier this year, about 40 per cent of overseas students in Canada were from India.

The Canadian government’s move to cut international student permits will now make Indian students choose other options such as the US, UK, or Australia.

(With agency inputs)