10 things S Jaishankar said on Operation Sindoor in Rajya Sabha today

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday (July 30) issued a strong rebuttal to the Opposition’s charges ranging from the ceasefire claim repeatedly made by US President Donald Trump to the alleged hyphenation of India and Pakistan, during a special discussion on Operation Sindoor in Rajya Sabha.

During the debate, Jaishankar categorically stated that there were no phone calls between US President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi between April 22 and June 16, adding that India has made it clear to the world that it would not accept any third-party mediation about talks with Pakistan and would only consider bilateral discussions with the neighbouring country.

Also Read: 10 things PM Modi said about Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha

Here are the top 10 highlights of Jaishankar’s speech

1) Jaishankar criticised then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru over the Indus Water Treaty, accusing him of appeasement politics.

“At the time, Nehru called the treaty a gesture of goodwill and friendship, but in return, India has only received terrorism and hatred,” Jaishankar said, adding that Nehru showed more concern for farmers in Pakistani Punjab than for those in Kashmir and Rajasthan.

2) Jaishankar said that in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the government’s immediate objective was to punish Pakistan for perpetrating it. He said that the primary objective of Operation Sindoor was to target the terror infrastructure in Pakistan, adding that no country in the world has suffered more than India due to the Indus Water Treaty. He added that the Modi government has demonstrated that past mistakes can be corrected.

3) Taking potshots at the previous UPA government, Jaishankar said, “Within three months, we condemned terrorism but still resumed composite dialogue. In a July 2009 meeting, we agreed that terrorism affected both countries but should not hinder dialogue — even citing Balochistan as an example.”

Also Read: Highlights of Rahul Gandhi's speech in Lok Sabha

“We had concluded that more was to be gained by not attacking Pakistan than by attacking it.” He criticised the Opposition, stating, “You allowed terrorist attacks to happen and still proceeded with talks. That was a self-inflicted hyphenation of India and Pakistan. How can the world take you seriously under such circumstances?”

4) As for the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack, Jaishankar said, "Blood and water will not flow together." He also noted that the responses by the earlier governments to terror attacks that took place before the Modi government came to power shaped the World’s perception of India.

5) Jaishakar asserted that under the Modi government, combating terrorism became a top priority. Referring to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Jaishankar highlighted that Tahawwur Rana was brought back to India under the Modi government’s efforts.

6) Jaishankar compared the UPA government and the Modi government on bringing the issue of Pakistan-backed cross-border terrorism.

“We have successfully brought the issue of terrorism by Pakistan to global platforms such as BRICS, QUAD, and the UN Security Council. For the first time, a UN report has mentioned The Resistance Front (TRF), with multiple member states acknowledging its role. One member stated that the Pahalgam attack couldn't have occurred without Lashkar-e-Taiba's support; another highlighted the LeT–TRF link, and another said that the attack was carried out by TRF, which is synonymous with LeT. We've now officially recorded at the UN that TRF is a proxy of LeT and responsible for the Pahalgam attack,” he said.

Also Read: Top 10 things Amit Shah said on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha

7) The foreign minister also denied the Opposition’s charge regarding Trump’s ceasefire claims. "Let them hear it clearly — between April 22 and June 16, there was not a single phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi."

8) The External Affairs Minister said that during Operation Sindoor, several countries reached out to India to assess the seriousness of the situation and how long it might last. Clarifying that such communication was normal, he said that India made it clear to the international community that it was not open to any third-party mediation with regard to Pakistan and would only accept bilateral talks.

9) The EAM said that India made it clear it was responding to a Pakistani attack and would continue to do so unless Pakistan formally requested a halt through the official Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) channel. He also stressed that India would not succumb to nuclear blackmail, and that the onus to de-escalate lay with Pakistan.

10) As for his recent visit to China, Jaishankar said, “We spoke with China on terrorism, de-escalation, restrictions on trade which China has imposed. Relations with China will develop only on mutual interest, sensitivity, and respect. All my meetings are public, and I made no secret agreements. Only ‘China guru’ does this”.