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PM Modi assassination plot: The mysterious death of US Special Forces officer Terrence Arvelle Jackson in a Dhaka hotel room on August 31 has sparked intense speculation about American intelligence activities in South Asia and a possible assassination plot against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jacksons sudden demise initially attributed to a routine military training mission on Saint Martins Island has raised uncomfortable questions about the real objectives of growing CIA presence in countries neighbouring India. The timing of events has not escaped the attention of geopolitical analysts. On the very day Jackson was found dead in Bangladesh Prime Minister Modi was attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin China. What followed next has become the subject of widespread discussion. After the formal proceedings PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a private 45-minute conversation inside a car away from the usual diplomatic protocols and media glare. The secretive nature of this meeting coinciding with the death of the American officer hundreds of kilometres away in Dhaka has led experts to draw compelling connections between these seemingly unrelated events. According to sources cited by Organizer media and other outlets there is growing belief among security analysts that Indian and Russian intelligence agencies may have worked together to neutralise a serious threat to Indias Prime Minister. The theory suggests that Jackson was not merely in Bangladesh for military training but was possibly involved in planning something far more sinister targeting Indias leadership. If true the joint operation by Indian and Russian intelligence under the guidance of Modi and Putin would represent a significant counterintelligence success. Prime Minister Modis own words have added fuel to these speculations. Just a day after returning from China while addressing the Semicon Summit in New Delhi on September 2 he made a remark that caught everyones attention. Are you clapping because I went to China or because I came back? he asked the audience with a meaningful smile. To seasoned political observers these words were not casual banter but carried a deeper message about the dangers and threats that surround Indias leadership in todays complex geopolitical environment. The CIAs history of interference in sovereign nations is well documented. From orchestrating coups against democratically elected governments to creating instability in regions that do not align with American interests the agencys controversial operations span decades and continents. In South Asia particularly suspicions about CIA involvement have ranged from the Soviet-Afghan war in 1979 to more recent political upheavals in Bangladesh and Nepal. The agencys expanding footprint in countries bordering India has not gone unnoticed by security establishments in New Delhi. What makes the current situation more alarming is the pattern of increased American pressure on India in recent years. Whether it was the previous Trump administrations repeated offers to mediate between India and Pakistan or the criticism India faced for purchasing Russian oil to meet its energy needs or the constant attempts to influence Indias trade policies there has been a clear effort to bend New Delhi to Washingtons will. However under Prime Minister Modis leadership India has consistently refused to compromise its national interests for the sake of pleasing any foreign power. As the worlds most populous nation and the fourth largest economy India under Modi has displayed unprecedented confidence and assertiveness on the global stage. This New India does not bow down to threats or unjust demands. It makes decisions based solely on what serves its people and protects its sovereignty. Such an independent foreign policy stance while appreciated by Indian citizens may have ruffled feathers in certain Western capitals that are accustomed to smaller nations falling in line with their diktats. Reports from Organizer media and other sources suggest that some foreign powers may view a strong independent India as an obstacle to their regional ambitions. According to this analysis destabilising India or removing its current leadership could be seen as a way to slow down the countrys remarkable progress and install a more pliable government in New Delhi. If such thinking exists in certain intelligence circles it would explain the alleged plot that was reportedly thwarted in late August. The friendship between India and Russia has deep historical roots and the personal rapport between Modi and Putin has been evident on multiple occasions. From Modis visits to Russia to Putins trips to India the two leaders have demonstrated mutual respect and understanding. Their cooperation on defence energy and strategic matters has only grown stronger despite Western pressure on both nations. The alleged joint intelligence operation in Dhaka if it indeed took place would be another example of this trusted partnership working to protect mutual interests. The death of Terrence Arvelle Jackson remains officially unexplained with American authorities maintaining that he was simply a military trainer visiting Bangladesh. However the coincidences are too striking to ignore. A US Special Forces officer dies mysteriously on the same day that Modi and Putin hold urgent private discussions. Days later Indias Prime Minister makes cryptic remarks about the dangers of his China visit. The pieces of this puzzle when put together paint a disturbing picture of the threats facing Indias leadership. What is clear beyond doubt is that Prime Minister Modis message to the world remains firm and unambiguous. India will never compromise on its national security territorial integrity or sovereign decision-making. No amount of foreign pressure coercion or even threats to its leadership will make this nation deviate from the path it has chosen for itself. The government and the security establishment remain vigilant against all threats whether they come from hostile neighbours or from powers operating through proxies in the region. As India continues its journey towards becoming the worlds third largest economy such challenges are likely to increase rather than decrease. Foreign powers uncomfortable with Indias rise may attempt various methods to slow down its progress. However as the events of August 31 may have demonstrated India is not alone in this struggle. It has trusted friends and capable agencies that work silently to protect the nation and its leadership from harm. The mystery of what really happened in Dhaka may never be fully revealed to the public but one thing is certain: India stands ready to face any challenge to its security and sovereignty no matter how powerful the adversary or how complex the threat. (Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd. a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH Germany.)
