Now Reading: Rajnath Singh calls out terror backers at SCO meet in Dushanbe
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Rajnath Singh calls out terror backers at SCO meet in Dushanbe
The Story in Brief
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, called for the collective dismantling of the entire ecosystem of terrorism, saying there can be no justification or double standards in dealing with it. He made the remarks at the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in the presence of Pakistan's deputy prime minister and defence minister Ishaq Dar.
Singh also stressed the need for resilient supply chains, trade facilitation, and technology-driven development, and reaffirmed India's support for the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chabahar Port. He said connectivity must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, an apparent reference to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. India will host the first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum by the end of 2026.
The meeting reviewed progress on multilateral economic and trade cooperation among SCO members, according to the defence ministry.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Hindu frames the speech as a diplomatic challenge within a divided SCO, emphasising India's refusal to endorse a joint statement at the 2025 defence ministers' meet. Hindustan Times and Times of India lead with Singh's anti-terror message and the Pakistan minister's presence, while Tribune India adds Singh's call for dialogue, 'war can never be the answer to war', a line absent from others. Assam Tribune and Economic Times are neutral wire reports. The differing emphasis on Singh's diplomatic outreach versus his sharp anti-terror language reflects the outlets' editorial focus: one stresses India's isolation on terrorism within the SCO, others the act of delivering the message publicly. The SCO's next test will be whether its members translate anti-terror commitments into practical cooperation, such as intelligence-sharing and action against terror financing.
Coverage: 6 sources, 1 government-critical, 5 neutral
Sources (6): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), thehindu.com (government critical), assamtribune.com (neutral report), tribuneindia.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 6 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
