Rajnath Singh Refuses to Sign SCO Statement, Says India Won’t Compromise on Terrorism

China: In a significant diplomatic stand, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to endorse the joint statement issued at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting, citing concerns that it would weaken India’s firm stance on terrorism and overlook key regional security challenges, including the recent Pahalgam terror attack.

The joint statement, agreed upon by other member states, reportedly made no mention of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians, including a Nepali national, were killed. However, it did reference issues in Balochistan, prompting India to distance itself from the final document.

Speaking at the summit in Qingdao, Singh condemned terrorism in all forms and urged SCO members to take an uncompromising approach. “We reiterate the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, accountable and bring them to justice,” Singh said. “Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomever committed. SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally.”

Highlighting the Pahalgam attack, Singh pointed to Pakistan-backed proxy group The Resistance Front (TRF), which is affiliated with the UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). “Victims were profiled and targeted based on their religious identity. The pattern is consistent with LeT’s previous attacks,” he said.

The Defence Minister also informed SCO counterparts about India’s recent military operation, ‘Operation Sindoor’, carried out on May 7 to dismantle terror infrastructure across the Line of Control in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“India exercised its legitimate right to defend itself from cross-border terrorism and launched targeted strikes to pre-empt further attacks,” Singh added, reaffirming India’s commitment to regional peace and stability through decisive action.