Every act of terrorism is criminal & unjustifiable: Rajnath Singh

He called upon the member countries to unite in eliminating the menace for collective safety and security.

 Addressing the Defence Ministers, SCO Secretary General, Director Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of SCO and other distinguished delegates, Singh stated that the biggest challenges faced by the region are related to peace, security and trust-deficit, with increasing radicalisation, extremism & terrorism being the root cause of these problems.

“Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action”,said Singh

He said that it is imperative that those who sponsor, nurture and utilise terrorism for their narrow and selfish ends must bear the consequences.

“ 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. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations,”  said  Rajnath Singh.

He asserted that India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, exercising its right to defend against terrorism and pre-empt as well as deter further cross border attacks.

“The pattern of Pahalgam attack matches with LeT’s previous terror attacks in India. India’s zero tolerance for terrorism was demonstrated through its actions. It includes our right to defend ourselves against terrorism. We have shown that epicentres of terrorism are no longer safe and we will not hesitate to target them,” he said.

 Rajnath Singh reiterated the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, accountable and bring them to justice. He termed any and every act of terrorism as criminal & unjustifiable regardless of their motivation whenever, wherever and committed by whom-so-ever. SCO members must condemn this evil unequivocally, he said, reaffirming India’s resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Highlighting SCO’s crucial role in the current uncertain geopolitical scenario, Raksha Mantri stated that the member countries contribute around 30 per cent of the global GDP and about 40 percent of the world’s population resides in them. He described the creation of a safe, secure and stable region as a collective stake, which can contribute towards progress and improvement of peoples’ lives.