India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh declined to sign the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) joint statement at the Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China, citing the document’s failure to address cross-border terrorism—a long-standing concern for India.
Singh raised the issue of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, allegedly carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba and its affiliate, The Resistance Front, and stressed India’s firm stance of zero tolerance toward terrorism.
Calling for “no double standards” in combating terror, Singh stated that peace and security in the region cannot be achieved without united, decisive action against radicalisation and extremism.
He reiterated India’s right to defend itself, referring to Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory military strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. With Singh’s refusal, the SCO summit concluded without a joint declaration—a rare and diplomatically significant move, signaling India’s growing assertiveness on the global stage regarding terrorism and national security.
