U.S Blocks Drone Sale to India Amid Alleged Khalistani Assassination, Says Reports| Oneindia News

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In a shocking turn of events, the United States puts a $3-billion drone deal with India on hold, demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged conspiracy to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Join us for the latest updates on this diplomatic standoff and its implications for US-India relations.    #USA #USNews #UnitedStatesofAmerica #America #Drone #DroneDeals #USIndiaDroneDeals #Khalistani #GurpatwantSinghPannun #DroneSale #NikhilGupta #CzechRepublic #Oneindia                 ~HT.292~GR.125~PR.274~ED.103~

Transcript

00:00 In recent developments, the United States government has temporarily halted the delivery

00:08 of 31 Antheu 9AC Guardian and Sky Guardian drones to India, according to reports.

00:15 This decision is contingent upon India conducting a thorough investigation into the alleged

00:20 conspiracy to assassinate Gurpardwan Singh Pannu, a New York-based Khalistani terrorist

00:26 with dual US and Canadian citizenship accused of terrorism by India.

00:31 The proposed $3 billion purchase includes 15 Sea Guardian drones for the Indian Navy

00:36 with the Indian Air Force and Army set to receive eight Sky Guardian drones each.

00:42 Additionally, Washington has also put on hold smaller Indian accusations, including the

00:47 purchase of six Boeing P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft meant to supply or supplement

00:54 the existing 12 P-8I Poseidon aircraft in the Indian Navy's fleet.

01:00 The delay in the drone deal stems from concerns within the US Congress, particularly among

01:05 Indian-American lawmakers.

01:07 This apprehension is a response to the alleged involvement of an Indian security official

01:13 referred to as CC-1 in the conspiracy to assassinate Pannu.

01:17 The fallout has led to a freeze in legislative movement required for the sale to proceed.

01:23 Nikhil Gupta, an individual formerly charged with conspiring to kill Pannu, is currently

01:29 in detention in the Cez Republic, awaiting deportation to the US.

01:33 US federal prosecutors claim that Gupta promised $100,000 to the FBI agent, posing as a hitman

01:41 for the planned assassination.

01:43 Five US Congress members of Indian origin who received a classified briefing on the

01:48 federal indictment issued a joint statement in December urging India to fully investigate

01:54 the matter and hold those responsible, including Indian government officials, accountable.

01:59 They emphasized the importance of swift action to prevent significant damage to the US-India

02:05 partnership.

02:06 The Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has issued a full investigation

02:12 into the Pannu affair.

02:13 However, the US State Department and India's Defense Ministry have refrained from commenting

02:18 on the delayed drone deal.

02:20 Despite these diplomatic challenges, Prime Minister Modi downplayed the impact on Indo-US

02:26 ties, emphasizing strong bipartisan support for the relationship.

02:30 The Poseidon aircraft and Sea Guardian drones, designed to work collaboratively, enhance

02:36 the Indian Navy's capability to monitor the Indian Ocean and respond to potential threats

02:41 to international trade routes.

02:44 The versatile Sea Guardian drone boasts an impressive endurance of over 27 hours, a speed

02:50 of 240 knots, an operating ceiling of 50,000 feet and a payload capacity of 1,746 kilograms.

02:59 The MQ-9A's capabilities continue to evolve, adapting to emerging needs, with the extended-range

03:06 ER version offering extended endurance of up to 34 hours.

03:11 As India pledges to address the Pannu situation, the fate of the drone deal remains uncertain,

03:17 pending further developments on Capitol Hill.

03:20 (upbeat music)

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