New Delhi: Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s firm resolve that terrorism epicentres are no longer immune to justifiable punishment, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Tuesday.
Without naming Pakistan, Singh emphasised that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) should not hesitate in seeking appropriate action against those who abate, shelter and provide safe havens to terrorists.
“By tackling terrorism, separatism, and extremism without exception, we transform regional security from a challenge into a cornerstone for peace and prosperity,” he said at the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Bishkek.
Recalling last year’s Tianjin Declaration, the defence minister said that the declaration brought out India’s firm and collective stance against terrorism, terming it as a testimony to the country’s zero-tolerance outlook towards terrorism and its perpetrators.
Just a couple of days back, on 22 April, we remembered the victims of the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The carnage in Pahalgam had shook the entire humanity. During Op Sindoor, we demonstrated our firm resolve that terrorism epicentres are no longer immune to justifiable…
— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) April 28, 2026
Emphasising counter-terrorism as the founding principle of SCO, Singh also highlighted the significant role played by Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure. He further stated that in view of present global uncertainties, SCO has a pivotal role to play as countries are becoming inward looking in today’s fractured world view.
“Do we need a new world order or a world which is more orderly? We need an order where every citizen of this world is treated with dignity and respect. We need an order where differences do not become disputes and disputes don’t precede disasters,” he asserted, adding that the real crisis today is not of a non-existent order but the tendency to question the established rules-based world order.
The defence minister also reiterated India’s commitment to contribute constructively to implement the mandate of SCO, while pressing for greater cooperation among member states based on equality, mutual respect and deeper understanding.
Jaydeep Gadhavi is an alum of ThePrint School of Journalism and an intern with ThePrint.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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