Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participated in the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao, becoming the first senior Indian minister to visit China since the violent standoff along the LAC began in May 2020.
No Place For Double Standards: India At SCO
At the recently held Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took a firm stand by refusing to sign a joint statement, underscoring India’s uncompromising stance against terrorism. The decision came in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which left 26 people dead and was allegedly linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
India Stands Firm Against Cross-Border Terrorism
Rajnath Singh, without naming Pakistan directly, delivered a strong message during the meeting by condemning the use of cross-border terrorism by some nations as a tool of foreign policy. “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 stated, alluding to Pakistan’s continued support to terror outfits operating against India.
He criticised the absence of any reference to the Pahalgam attack in the proposed joint declaration and noted that signing the statement would have weakened India’s principled position on terrorism. Due to this, and India’s firm opposition, the SCO meeting eventually decided to drop the joint declaration altogether.
Operation Sindoor: India’s Response to the Pahalgam Attack
Referring to the recent spike in cross-border terror activities, Singh revealed that India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam attack. The operation aimed not only to neutralise threats but also to send a stern message to the sponsors of terrorism. Singh pointed out that the nature of the attack bore the signature of previous LeT-led strikes in India, reinforcing the need for coordinated international efforts to tackle terrorism.
About the SCO Meeting in China
The two-day SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting, hosted by China from June 25 to 26 in Qingdao, brought together representatives from all ten full member states: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. Held under China’s 2025 chairmanship, the theme of this year’s meeting was “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.”
Key issues on the agenda included border security, regional defence cooperation, and counter-terrorism measures. Rajnath Singh is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his Chinese and Russian counterparts to discuss issues of mutual interest, particularly in the areas of defence and regional stability.
India’s Message: Zero Tolerance for Terrorism
India’s decision to walk away from the joint statement serves as a powerful signal of its unwavering resolve to combat terrorism and hold accountable those who support it. In multilateral platforms like the SCO, New Delhi continues to push for greater unity and clarity in counter-terrorism efforts, ensuring that global declarations reflect ground realities and do not ignore the pain inflicted by acts of terror.
By refusing to compromise, India has once again demonstrated its commitment to protecting its sovereignty and advocating for a consistent, zero-tolerance approach to terrorism on the international stage.
