India just made it clear: when it comes to terrorism, there’s no middle ground.
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign the SCO document. Why? Because it completely ignored the recent Pahalgam terror attack where 26 innocent lives were lost. Instead, the SCO document included references to Balochistan—Pakistan’s favorite accusation against India.
That didn’t sit well with New Delhi.
India Draws the Line
India’s message was sharp and simple—you can’t ignore our pain and expect our signature. Sources from the Defence Ministry said the language of the joint statement was one-sided. It talked about incidents in Pakistan but said nothing about the terror strike in Pahalgam, where civilians were brutally killed based on their religion.
India believes this was no accident. With China chairing the summit and backing its close ally Pakistan, Pahalgam was deliberately left out.
Rajnath Singh Stands Firm
Speaking at the summit, Singh didn’t hold back. He reminded everyone that peace and terror can’t co-exist. He spoke about how some nations sponsor terrorism and use it as foreign policy—a clear swipe at Pakistan.
On Pahalgam, he was specific. Singh said the attack had all the hallmarks of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terror group. He also highlighted India’s right to defend itself and its zero-tolerance policy on terrorism.
“Terrorism and its sponsors must face consequences,” he said. “There can be no room for double standards.”
SCO Must Walk the Talk
The SCO document was supposed to reflect unity on global threats. Instead, it skipped a deadly terror attack on Indian soil and subtly accused India of stirring unrest in Balochistan. That’s not unity—that’s hypocrisy.
India’s refusal to sign the statement is part of a broader effort to reset the global narrative. Following Operation Sindoor, Indian diplomats have been sent across the world to explain India’s stand on terror. This move at SCO is an extension of that same bold, no-nonsense policy.
What This Means
India isn’t afraid to walk away from the table if the rules are unfair. It’s not just about a missing paragraph in a document—it’s about how the world treats terror.
With countries like Russia and Iran also in the room, India has made it clear: If the world wants real peace, it must name and shame those who breed terror.
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