SCO Meeting: India Refuses to Sign Document Due to sco Disagreements

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign a joint document at the SCO meeting in China, citing disagreements on terrorism and stressing the need for collective action against those who sponsor and use terrorism for narrow political ends.

The SCO meeting, held in Qingdao, China, brought together defence leaders from the organisation's ten member states, including China, Russia, Pakistan, and India. The agenda focused on regional peace and security, counter-terrorism cooperation, and enhancing military collaboration among member states. Singh condemned the use of terrorism as a state policy, targeting Pakistan, and highlighted the Pahalgam attack, emphasizing that there should be no tolerance or double standards in combating terrorism.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also called on SCO member states to shun double standards in combating terrorism, urging them to hold accountable perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of cross-border terror. Doval made the remarks at a meeting of the security council secretaries of the SCO in Beijing, stressing the need for decisive action against terrorists proscribed by the UN and groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

India's refusal to sign the joint communique is consistent with its previous independent stances in multilateral forums, where it has resisted attempts to align fully with China's agenda. The country's actions are aimed at promoting a unified and strong stance against terrorism, and its leaders are working to build a consensus among SCO member states to address the challenges posed by international terrorist groups.