NEW DELHI, June 27 -- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took a firm stand at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Qingdao, China, by refusing to endorse a joint statement that could have weakened India's position on key issues, especially cross-border terrorism and regional security.

Rajnath Singh's refusal underscores India's strategic autonomy and its unwavering stance against terrorism. The proposed document reportedly omitted any mention of the recent Pahalgam terror attack-believed to be carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba-while including references to militant activity in Balochistan, a region where Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of interference, claims India strongly denies.

Due ...