NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday pointed out India’s strengthened stance on terrorism, saying that there would be a response if similar attacks to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks were to take place again.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Jaishankar asserted the need for a “double engine government” in Maharashtra, citing the Centre’s efforts to elevate India’s image on the international stage.
“We should not have a repeat of what happened in Mumbai,” Jaishankar said.
“There was a terror attack, and there was no response. This India will not accept it. This is what has changed.”
He described Mumbai as a global symbol of India’s counter-terrorism resolve, recounting India’s tenure on the UN Security Council when it chaired the counter-terrorism committee, holding a panel meeting in the same hotel affected during the 2008 attacks.
Jaishankar added, “People know that India is standing strong against terrorism. We are today leaders in fighting terrorism.”
The minister also brought attention to India’s “zero tolerance” policy on terror, warning that any future actions would bring a response. “We will expose terrorism, and we will act where we have to act,” he said, adding that India would not tolerate countries engaging in normal business during the day while sponsoring terrorism at night.
EAM also announced that India and China would soon resume joint patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, restoring arrangements from before the border standoff began in pre-October 31, 2020.
The move would reinstate patrols in regions like Demchok and Depsang, though the process will take some time, he mentioned.