Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday criticized Pakistan for engaging in cross-border terrorism during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in China, urging other member countries to condemn acts of terror.
He mentioned Operation Sindoor, initiated following the Pahalgam assaults, as a counter to terrorism supported by Pakistan.
Singh stated that Operation Sindoor consisted of a series of preemptive actions initiated on May 7, aimed at deterring additional cross-border terrorist assaults and “dismantling cross-border terrorist facilities” within Pakistan.
Taking a dig at Pakistan, Rajnath Singh stated, “Certain nations employ cross-border terrorism as a tool for their policies and offer refuge to terrorists.” Such double standards should have no room. The SCO ought to openly condemn such countries.
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‘Zero tolerance towards terror’
Rajnath Singh emphasized several measures implemented by India to demonstrate “zero tolerance for terrorism.” “We’ve demonstrated that the hubs of terrorism are no longer secure, and we won’t hesitate to strike at them,” he stated.
Singh is in Qingdao, China, for the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting until June 27, representing the first trip by a senior minister from Narendra Modi’s cabinet following the Galwan Valley clash in 2020.
Prior to the start of the Thursday meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun, and defence ministers from various member nations — such as Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan — assembled for a group photograph.
