New Delhi: ‘Operation Sindoor’ demonstrated India's firm resolve that "terror epicenters" are no longer immune to "justifiable punishment", Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, in remarks widely seen as a warning to Pakistan over cross-border terrorism.
In an address at a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, Singh also called on the influential grouping not to lose sight of "state-sponsored" cross-border terrorism and that there should not be any place for any "double standards" in combating the menace.
Delving into ongoing conflicts and geopolitical upheavals, Singh said that the "real test of power" is not in using it against the poor and the weak, but to use it in the interest of those who are unable to defend themselves.
There is a need to focus on global consensus where "co-existence, cohabitation and compassion take precedence over chaos, competition and conflict", he said.
The Defense minister emphasized that the SCO should not hesitate in seeking appropriate action against those who "abet, shelter and provide safe havens" to terrorists. He strongly pitched for a unified front to tackle the "evils" of terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
The minister described terrorism as the "most serious threat" to the emerging world order and noted that counter-terror cooperation has been a "foundational principle" of the SCO.
