External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday criticized Pakistan—without naming it directly—for blocking a reference to terrorism in a proposed joint statement at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers. As a result, India refused to endorse the statement, Jaishankar confirmed during an event organized by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency.
“The SCO’s foundational goal is to fight terrorism,” Jaishankar stated, adding that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declined to sign the document because it failed to acknowledge this core mission. He noted that during discussions in Qingdao, one nation opposed any mention of terrorism. “You can guess which one,” he remarked, alluding to Pakistan.
According to officials, Singh’s refusal to endorse the statement was also linked to the document’s silence on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people. Instead, it referenced the situation in Pakistan’s Balochistan province and a hijacking incident involving the Jaffer Express—events India viewed as an attempt to deflect from terrorism affecting its own territory.
The SCO meeting came in the wake of recent India-China clashes and India’s launch of Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan. Since SCO decisions are made by consensus, the meeting concluded without a joint statement.
Jaishankar defended Singh’s stance: “When the main purpose of the organisation is to counter terrorism and that is excluded from the statement, we cannot be party to it.”
He also praised the unity among political parties in the wake of Operation Sindoor. Delegations led by opposition MPs like Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), and Kanimozhi (DMK) conveyed India’s firm position on terrorism across the world. “Our policy is zero tolerance for terrorism, and we reserve the right to defend our people,” he affirmed.
In response to a question on RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale’s comments suggesting a review of the Preamble’s words “socialist” and “secular,” Jaishankar said it would be inappropriate for him to comment as a Union minister.
He also addressed a BJYM-organized mock parliament, where he reflected on the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975. “The Emergency happened because the interests of a single family were placed above the nation,” he said, adding, “Today, national interest comes first.”
Criticizing the Congress for never apologizing for the Emergency, Jaishankar said, “It’s not enough to carry the Constitution in your hand; it must live in your heart and mind,” in a veiled reference to Rahul Gandhi.
Recalling his days as a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University during the Emergency, Jaishankar said the key takeaway from that period was: “Never take freedom for granted.” He described the Emergency as a moment that threatened India’s Constitution, institutions, press, and democratic fabric—all for the sake of “one family.”
