External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had succeeded in placing terrorism firmly on the global agenda through sustained diplomatic efforts.
Opening the Rajya Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor, launched in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Jaishankar cited forums including BRICS, SCO, and QUAD, saying, “In the last decade, we have been able to put terrorism on the global agenda... Whether it is BRICS, SCO, QUAD or at the bilateral level…”
Jaishankar’s remarks came as part of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, where both Houses are discussing the recent counterterror operation. The Lok Sabha held its debate on Monday, followed by the Upper House on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Taking aim at the Congress, Jaishankar accused the opposition party of being “uncomfortable with history” while criticising their handling of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). The 1960 pact, brokered by the World Bank, has long been a point of political contention, particularly in the context of Pakistan’s alleged support for cross-border terrorism.
“The Indus Water Treaty, in many ways, is a very unique agreement. I cannot think of any agreement in the world where a country has allowed its major rivers to flow to the next country without having rights on that river,” he said, reflecting on what he described as a one-sided compromise.
Citing a statement made by Jawaharlal Nehru in Parliament on November 30, 1960, Jaishankar added, “People objected to that. PM also said, ‘Let me do this treaty for the interest of Pakistani Punjab’, not a word about farmers of Kashmir or Punjab. Not a word about Rajasthan or Gujarat.”
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He maintained that the Modi government has acted to reverse such "historic mistakes", placing the treaty in abeyance post the Pahalgam attack. “We were told for 60 years that nothing could be done. Pandit Nehru’s mistake can’t be corrected. The Narendra Modi government showed it can be corrected,” Jaishankar declared.
“The Indus Water Treaty will be held in abeyance until Pakistan irrevocably gives up its support of terrorism. We have warned that blood and water will not flow together,” he said.
He further credited Modi’s leadership for bold steps such as the abrogation of Article 370, equating it with the government's stance on correcting legacy issues. “Article 370 was corrected, and IWT is being corrected,” he reiterated.
Throughout his address, Jaishankar painted a picture of a more assertive India, one that no longer hesitates to call out double standards and confront terrorism at multilateral platforms.
His remarks were widely welcomed by BJP members in the House and drew sharp reactions from opposition benches, particularly the Congress, which has been under fire from the treasury benches during the ongoing debate on the Pahalgam attack and India’s retaliatory action.
Operation Sindoor was launched by Indian forces in response to the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, where several personnel were killed. The government has since undertaken diplomatic outreach, economic sanctions, and military action as part of the response.
As the debate continues in Parliament, India’s external affairs stance under Modi is expected to remain at the centre of attention, with the government underscoring national security and historical corrections as key themes.
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