NEW DELHI, Sept 27: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday warned Pakistan that India is prepared to take any necessary action against terrorism if Islamabad continues what he described as a “state policy of terrorism”, while making it clear that national security would remain non-negotiable.
Speaking at the NDTV Defence Conclave, Singh said India does not seek war, territorial expansion or confrontation with any country. However, he stressed that the pursuit of peace should not be mistaken for weakness.
“India believes in peace. India never wants war. India never wants to capture the land of any foreign country in the world,” Singh said, adding that there was a distinction between peace and cowardice.
The Defence Minister said India remains committed to dialogue, but maintained that talks cannot continue with a country that provides shelter and support to terrorism directed against India.
“India believes in dialogue,” Singh said, while asserting that the scope for discussions ends when a country supports terrorism against India.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Singh said countries that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy must be given a clear message that terror cannot serve as a strategic asset.
He issued a direct warning to Pakistan, saying India was “completely ready for every kind of strike against terrorism” as long as the neighbouring country continued its alleged state policy of supporting terrorism.
Singh also emphasised that India’s military operations, international cooperation and strategic decisions would remain guided by national interests.
“India wants operations, but we do not want operations at the cost of national interests. India wants cooperation, but not at the cost of national interests,” he said.
He added that India supports global stability while protecting its strategic autonomy, reiterating that the country’s approach is based on peace without compromising security.
During his address, Singh also referred to the concept of the “Thucydides Trap”, which describes the potential for conflict when a rising power challenges an established major power. He argued that the framework does not accurately describe India’s position in the world.
According to Singh, India should not be viewed through a simple status-quoist versus revisionist framework. He described the country instead as a “civilizational power”.
His remarks come amid renewed diplomatic exchanges between India and Pakistan over terrorism, Kashmir and regional security at international forums.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Modi, speaking at the SCO Summit, called for the dismantling of what he described as the “entire ecosystem of terrorism”, including its financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens. He also said countries that use terrorism as an instrument of policy should be told that it cannot be considered a strategic asset.
The issue also featured prominently at the United Nations General Assembly. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, addressing the session on Saturday, criticised Pakistan’s position on terrorism and asserted India’s right to defend itself against terrorist attacks.
Jaishankar said arguments aimed at normalising terrorism could not be accepted and stressed that friendship and goodwill could not coexist with terrorism.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had raised the Kashmir issue during his UNGA address and referred to the May 2025 military confrontation with India. He also credited US President Donald Trump with helping bring the confrontation to an end.
India has rejected claims that US mediation resulted in the cessation of hostilities, maintaining that the May 2025 ceasefire followed direct communication between the two countries’ military establishments after Operation Sindoor.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, targeting what it described as terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 civilians were killed.
Sharif also referred to the Indus Waters Treaty and criticised India’s decision to keep the agreement in abeyance. He warned that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of the waters would be considered an “act of war”.
India has maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and has consistently rejected Pakistan’s references to the region at international forums.