Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign a joint statement at the SCO meeting in China on Thursday and stressed India's anti-terror stance after calling out cross-border terrorism in a veiled dig at Pakistan and appealing to the participating nations to bring perpetrators of such acts to justice.
Signing the joint statement at the SCO meeting would have diluted India's stance against terrorism, as it did not even mention the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people dead on April 22. The SCO meeting then decided to drop the declaration altogether.
Rajnath Singh's firm words on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism
During the meeting, the defence minister indirectly criticised Pakistan while talking about the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, condemning the use of cross-border terrorism by certain countries that, he said, continue to harbour and support terrorists.
Taking aim without naming Pakistan directly, Singh stated, "Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. The SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations."
He further noted that the pattern of the Pahalgam attack closely resembled previous strikes carried out by the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in India. Emphasising the need for a firm response, he said India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to defend itself and send a strong message against cross-border terrorism, as he once again called out Pakistan.
About SCO meeting in China
China is hosting the two-day SCO Defence Ministers' meeting from June 25 to 26 in the eastern city of Qingdao. The gathering brings together defence ministers and senior officials from all ten full member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and the newest member, Belarus. Held under China's 2025 chairmanship, the meeting follows the theme "Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move."
He is also expected to hold bilateral talks with his Chinese and Russian counterparts on the sidelines. Key topics on the agenda include border security, regional defence cooperation, and joint efforts in counter-terrorism.