New Delhi: Congress Friday attacked the Modi government after American national Matthew VanDyke was reportedly released on default bail for a month to travel home, alleging that US pressure determined this outcome and Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to protect India’s national security.
The opposition party also said Home Minister Amit Shah must answer how were these suspicious foreign individuals given visas and allowed to travel through India to Myanmar in the first place.
VanDyke was reportedly released from jail on default bail of one month to travel home, days after the NIA filed a charge sheet against seven foreign nationals, including Dyke, for illegal entry, stay and movement, but did not invoke the anti-terror law UA(P)A, after arresting them in a terror conspiracy case for alleged links to ethnic armed groups in India.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “Our #CompromisedPM does it again. Last night, a US national Matthew VanDyke accused of plotting terrorist acts was released and allowed to return to his country.”
Giving a timeline, Ramesh said that March 13, a group of foreign nationals, including VanDyke, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on charges of conspiring to carry out terrorist activities against India.
On March 16, the NIA court submission alleged that the accused was supporting anti-India insurgent groups, he said on X.
It was alleged that the accused had confessed to abetting terrorist activities, Ramesh said.
“During US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India (May 23-26), US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor raised the issue with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri,” he said.
On September 8, UAPA charges were dropped against VanDyke, a foreign national accused of terrorism, Ramesh pointed out.
“This stands in sharp contrast to the law’s widespread misuse against Indian citizens by the government and where such cases are deliberately dragged on,” he said.
On September 24, VanDyke was released from custody and allowed to go home, the Congress leader said.
“Obviously US pressure determined this outcome but what did India get in return? More fundamentally, how were these suspicious foreign individuals given visas and allowed to travel through India to Myanmar in the first place? The HM must answer this,” Ramesh said.
“The PM has failed to protect India’s elections, institutions and our national security,” the Congress leader alleged.
Earlier this month when the NIA did not invoke UA(P)A against VanDyke, the Congress had asked whether the agency was pressured to do so by the Modi government at the instance of American authorities and what is the “pro quo that India expects for this quid”.
The opposition party had said this “appears to be bullying”.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge sheet, filed before Special Judge Prashant Sharma, accused the seven of offences under sections 21 and 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, and said “more time is required to ascertain and verify the true and complete facts about the commission of offences under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act”.
VanDyke had been arrested by the NIA from Kolkata airport, while Ukrainian citizens Petro Hurba, Taras Slyviak and Ivan Sukmanovskyi were arrested from Lucknow airport March 13.
Three other Ukrainians — Marian Stefankiv, Maksim Honcharuk and Viktor Kaminskyi — were arrested from Delhi airport the same day. It was alleged that the group was operating as mercenaries.
The NIA had earlier registered the case against them under Section 18 (punishment for conspiracy) of the UA(P)A along with sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The charge sheet said, “A substantial part of the further investigation with respect to the offences committed under UA(P) Act, 1967 has been completed.
“Further investigation is undergoing and more time is required to ascertain and verify the true and complete facts about the commission of offences under UA(P)A in view of import and recovery of huge quantity of drones and accessories through India and seizure of huge number of digital devices whose scrutiny is underway.”
It said the further probe could indicate their possible involvement in acts affecting/threatening the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of India or strike terror in any section of the people of India in a manner affecting India’s interests.
Further investigation under 193(9) BNSS may be allowed to be continued in order to unearth all the aspects of the larger conspiracy in the instant case against the arrested accused persons and others, the charge sheet said.
PTI