India's Zero Tolerance Stance: S Jaishankar Condemns Terrorism at SCO Meet Following Delhi Blast

India emphasized that there can be "no looking away" and "no whitewashing" when it comes to terrorism, calling on the international community to demonstrate "zero tolerance" towards terrorism in all its manifestations, following a recent bomb blast in Delhi that claimed 15 lives.

"It is imperative that the world display zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justification, no looking away and no whitewashing. As India has demonstrated, we have the right to defend our people against terrorism and will exercise it," stated Foreign Minister S Jaishankar during his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting.

The Council of Heads of Government (CHG), which is the second most significant SCO mechanism, convenes annually to address major trade and economic cooperation issues, as well as the SCO annual budget. The previous CHG meeting was hosted by Pakistan in October 2024.

The Minister further emphasized that the SCO was established to combat the three evils of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, adding "we must never forget that".

He noted that these threats have become even more severe in recent years.

The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017, while Iran joined as a permanent member in July 2023 during an India-hosted virtual summit.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared on Monday that those responsible for the deadly blast near Delhi's Red Fort would be tracked down "even from hell" and face the harshest punishment.

Investigators have characterized the Delhi blast as a sophisticated 'white-collar' terror module, led by a group of doctors recently uncovered by Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The Union Cabinet has officially described the Delhi blast as a "heinous terror incident".

The explosion occurred in an explosives-laden car driven by Dr Umar Nabi, who was from south Kashmir's Pulwama and worked as an assistant professor in the general medicine department at Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.

The National Investigation Agency has arrested Jasir Bilal Wani in Srinagar, who was reportedly an "active co-conspirator" of suicide bomber Umar un Nabi, in connection with the blast.

Wani, a resident of Qazigund in Anantnag, allegedly provided technical support for carrying out terror attacks by modifying drones and attempting to create rockets prior to the deadly car bomb blast, according to a statement from the agency.

The NIA has identified Umar Un Nabi, who was driving when the car exploded near the Red Fort, as a "suicide bomber".