German police have arrested a wanted Sikh radical, Jaswinder Singh Multani, after what Indian media said was more than 72 hours of hectic diplomacy by the Modi government with Berlin. New Delhi, according to the Hindustan Times, made it clear that it would hold Germany accountable if any bomb blast took place in Mumbai or Delhi as a result of the extremist's actions. 

According to officials based in Berlin and New Delhi, the Modi government provided actionable intelligence to the German embassy in Delhi and in Berlin to convince the German police about the urgency of the matter. Indian Embassy officials were recalled from their Christmas holidays by top Ministry of External Affairs officials to ensure that the German authorities understand the seriousness of the matter about an impending terror strike on Mumbai. 

According to the paper, Multani, who belongs to the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) group, had been able to send explosives to Mumbai with a terror team being assembled for the strike and is presently being interrogated by the German police.

The arrest of Multani by German authorities is a huge step in bilateral relations as it will also force countries like the UK and Canada to take action against Sikh separatists, who are being backed by the Pakistani 'deep state', the paper said. The inaction on part of the UK and Canada, despite being India’s strategic partners, has convinced Indian security agencies that these countries with large Sikh populations are trying to fish in troubled waters, it further said. 

Multani came to the notice of the Indian security agencies for arranging and sending weapons consignments comprising explosives, hand grenades and pistols from across the border with the help of his Pakistan-based operatives and arms smugglers, Hindustan Times said. He was reportedly planning to carry out terrorist activities in Punjab by using the smuggled consignments.
  
(SAM)