‘Red lines were crossed’: Jaishankar calls Operation Sindoor a new normal in India’s counter-terror doctrine

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said that Operation Sindoor reflects a transformative shift in India’s counter-terrorism policy, calling it “a new normal” in how the country responds to terror threats.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar highlighted the government’s firm stance following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and highlighted the role of diplomacy in rallying global support.

“It was important to send a clear, strong and resolute message after the Pahalgam attack. Our red lines were crossed and we had to make it very apparent that there would be serious consequences,” he said. He said that the Cabinet Committee on Security decided to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 until Pakistan irreversibly ends its support for cross-border terrorism.

Jaishankar also detailed how Indian diplomacy helped build international consensus. “Multilateral forums such as the Quad and BRICS condemned the attack. Countries like Germany, France and the EU stated clearly that India had every right to defend itself,” he added.

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He rejected claims that his visit to China was part of any backdoor arrangement. “I went to China to make our stand very clear about terrorism. I didn’t go for the Olympics or secret deals,” he clarified.

India’s firm diplomatic messaging was reinforced by 7 parliamentary delegations that visited 33 countries to communicate the zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. “Thanks to our diplomacy, the TRF, which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, has now been designated a global terrorist organisation,” he added.