At Quad, EAM Jaishankar Reiterates Indias Right To Defend Against Terrorism, Flays Pakistan
'India has every right to defend its people against terrorism, and we will exercise that right," he said with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Ministers Penny Wong of Australia and Takeshi Iwaya of Japan standing beside him. Jaishankar's statement came hours after Rajnath Singh spoke to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and explained India's actions during Operation Sindoor.
Just finished a very productive meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers in Washington DC. Discussed how to make Quad more focused and impactful on contemporary opportunities and challenges.
Today's gathering will strengthen strategic stability in the Indo - Pacific and keep it free… pic.twitter.com/M9Vg5NaxMR — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 1, 2025
This is the first Quad ministerial where the four foreign ministers will be meeting together after the heinous Pahalgam massacre on April 22 by Pakistan-backed terrorists and India's decisive 'Operation Sindoor' against them.
"We expect our quad partners to understand and appreciate that," said Jaishankar. Referring to the Pahalgam attack, EAM Jaishankar said, "A word about terrorism in the light of our recent experience: The world must display zero tolerance. Victims and perpetrators must never be equated".
Counter-terrorism is one of the elemental items in the Quad agenda. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to host the summit of the Quad leaders later this year with the US President Donald Trump and Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese of Australia and Shigeru Ishiba of Japan.
"We have some proposals on how to make that productive," Jaishankar said. "I'm sure so do our partners, [and] we will discuss and I'm sure we can agree on going about it".
"A lot is happening in the world, and I'm sure that our exchange of views will be very valuable for all of us," he added.
The Quad is committed to a rules-based international order and "it is essential that nations of the Indo-Pacific have the freedom of choice, so essential to make right decisions," he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
20 minutes ago
- News18
‘Spare The Sangh From Political Rhetoric': RSS Hits Back At Congress
Last Updated: RSS's Sunil Ambekar reiterated that the Sangh's identity has always been of a social and cultural organisation, and it has always focused on 'nation-building' Reacting to the repeated attacks by the Congress—the latest coming from Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge —the RSS said the political parties should 'spare" the Sangh, as it has no interest in engaging with politically driven narratives. 'Spare the Sangh from such political conversations. We are a social organisation committed to constructive work, not political rhetoric. We do our work organically," said Sunil Ambekar, the RSS's Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, asserting that an organisation like the Sangh should not be dragged into political controversies. He further reiterated that the Sangh's identity has always been of a social and cultural organisation, and it has always focused on 'nation-building". 'The RSS does not function like a political party and remains committed to its grassroots social work. People support the Sangh's work, and they get associated. Political parties should stop unnecessarily involving the Sangh in their discourse," he added. Centenary preparations A three-day Akhil Bharatiya Prant Pracharak Baithak of the RSS will be held from July 4-6 at Keshav Kunj in Delhi, with a key focus on preparations for the Shatabdi Varsh (Centenary Year) in 2025-26, Ambekar said, addressing the media. While not a decision-making forum, the meeting will review the progress of organisational work across prants (zones) and discuss the functioning of various karya vibhag (sections and zones). Issues related to Operation Sindoor, atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh, and other geopolitical, social, and border issues, including religious conversion and Khalistani issues in Punjab, will be discussed in the meeting. Two prant pracharaks (in-charges) from Jammu and Kashmir will also join the meeting. Around 46 prant pracharaks from across states and 233 karyakartas will attend the meeting. Responding to a question on the caste census, Ambekar reiterated the Sangh's old stand that it sees no problem with the government collecting data if it is for public welfare. Regarding the recent concerns over the Kanwar Yatra and potential law-and-order issues, Ambekar said, 'Religious events like the Kanwar Yatra happen smoothly every year. Administrative coordination is routine. We also engage with members of the society to ensure peace and harmony." 'Outreach' as the key He further confirmed that extensive preparations are underway for the 100-year anniversary of the RSS, with all states and zones having submitted proposals. The centenary year will officially begin with a grand programme in Nagpur on Vijay Dashami, October 2. Regional and zonal programmes will follow along with 'Hindu Sammelan" across states. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will also undertake a pravas (outreach tour) of four major cities—Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kolkata—as part of the centenary outreach. Special initiatives include Grih Sampark Abhiyan (door-to-door contact), Samajik Sadbhav Baithaks (social harmony meetings), and Pramukh Nagrik Goshthis (citizen dialogues) on Hindutva and national vision. Youth engagement will be central, as over 28,571 people registered through the 'Join RSS" portal between April and June. Ambekar also outlined the Panch Parivartan vision for societal transformation—spanning social harmony, environmental consciousness, cultural pride, family bonding, and civic responsibility—which RSS volunteers will promote in collaboration with wider society. About the Author Madhuparna Das First Published: July 04, 2025, 05:12 IST
India Today
44 minutes ago
- India Today
North Korea slams Quad for calling it to denuclearise, KCNA says
North Korea slammed on Friday the Quad grouping of the United States, India, Japan and Australia for insisting North Korea denuclearise, according to its state media Korea also said the US fabricated a "cyber threat" from North Korea, citing its Foreign Ministry U.S. Department of Justice announced last month an arrest and indictments targeting North Korea's so-called "IT worker" program, in which North Koreans obtain remote IT-related positions at US companies, and use that access to steal money and information from a host of companies around the world.- EndsTune InMust Watch advertisement
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Hamas seeks war-end promise as US-led Gaza ceasefire talks advance
As ceasefire negotiations intensify, Hamas is demanding clear guarantees that any new US-backed truce proposal for Gaza will not just pause the fighting, but lead to a permanent end to the war, a source close to the militant group insistence comes as Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed at least 59 people across Gaza on the same day, underscoring the high human cost of delays in diplomatic progress. Nearly 21 months into the war between Israel and Hamas, momentum appears to be building for a breakthrough — if both sides can agree on the is seeking clear guarantees that the ceasefire will eventually lead to the war's end,' the source told reporters, highlighting a major sticking point in talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel had accepted the terms of a 60-day ceasefire, designed to allow space for negotiations toward a final resolution of the Hamas has not yet officially accepted the plan, the group said it was in consultation with other Palestinian factions and would issue a formal response to mediators OFFICIALS ARE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC'If the Hamas response is positive, an Israeli delegation is ready to participate in indirect talks to finalise the deal,' said a senior official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A second source familiar with the talks said Israel expected a reply from Hamas by proposal includes the staggered release of 10 living Israeli hostages and the return of the bodies of 18 more in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, an official familiar with the negotiations said on Thursday. Of the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 are believed to still be and Qatari negotiators have reportedly sought international assurances that the two-month ceasefire would serve as a stepping stone toward a broader end to hostilities — an element that Hamas views as non-negotiable.'Efforts for a Gaza truce gathered steam after the US secured a ceasefire to end the 12-day aerial conflict between Israel and Iran,' noted one Egyptian security source. 'Now the priority is getting both sides to commit to deeper talks.'But on the ground, Gaza continues to endure heavy bombardment. Medical officials reported dozens of civilian casualties from Israeli strikes on Thursday alone, as expectations mount for a breakthrough, but without guarantees, Hamas remains hesitant.- Ends(With inputs from Reuters)Tune InMust Watch
