A political controversy erupted on Wednesday after the Congress party accused Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of giving what it called a “shameful clean chit” to Pakistan during his remarks at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Bishkek. The opposition party claimed that Singh’s statement, particularly his comment that “terrorism has no nationality,” was misleading and weakened India’s long-standing position on cross-border terrorism.

The remarks in question were made by Singh during his address at the SCO conclave, where he reiterated India’s zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. He stressed that no grievance, real or perceived, can justify acts of terror and emphasized the need for international cooperation against extremist violence. Singh also highlighted India’s position that terror infrastructure should not be allowed safe havens anywhere.

However, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh strongly criticised the statement, sharing a video clip of the Defence Minister’s speech on social media platform X. He alleged that the remarks effectively softened India’s stance on Pakistan and questioned whether they amounted to a “clean chit” for the neighbouring country in the context of terrorism-related concerns.

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Ramesh further argued that Pakistan continues to be associated with terrorist networks targeting India and cited past incidents, including the Mumbai terror attacks, as evidence of cross-border terrorism. He questioned whether terror infrastructure in Pakistan had been adequately acknowledged in India’s diplomatic positioning and suggested that the government’s foreign policy approach was inconsistent on the issue.

He also linked the Defence Minister’s remarks to what he described as a broader strategic shift in India’s foreign policy, alleging appeasement of global powers and inconsistent messaging on security matters. According to him, the government’s stance on Pakistan and other neighbouring countries reflects a pattern of diplomatic compromises that weaken India’s position on national security issues.

In response to such interpretations, Rajnath Singh had earlier reiterated India’s firm stance against terrorism, stating that operations such as “Operation Sindoor” demonstrate the country’s readiness to respond decisively to terror threats. He called for the SCO to maintain a unified approach against state-supported terrorism and warned against double standards in addressing the issue, remarks widely seen as directed at Pakistan.

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