Jaishankar questions Western hypocrisy over Operation Sindoor

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday took a jab at Western posturing during Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

Speaking to members of the Indian community in Luxembourg, Jaishankar said that countries miles away say they get worried if there’s tension, but refuse to look within themselves to see the risks in their own territory.

Jaishankar said, “So, those who are willing to work with us and be helpful and positive, we have to deal with them in that way. Those who do things like Pakistan, we have to deal with them differently.”

Jaishankar mocked the fact that many countries advise others on how to handle their local conflicts, often without thinking.

He said, “Now, how much impact do developments in the rest of the world have on this? It’s hard to say. People far away will say things, sometimes thoughtfully, sometimes thoughtlessly, sometimes for their own benefit, sometimes carelessly. That happens. But ultimately, I can tell you, no matter what you say, in today’s times, countries are more—I don’t want to say they’ve become more selfish, but they will only do things if it directly benefits them. They’ll give you free advice. If something happens, they’ll say, ‘No, please don’t do that.’ If there’s tension, we’re concerned.” Jaishankar explained how during Operation Sindoor, launched by India, many countries advised India on how it should act, and India accepted it as the world’s way and moved on.

He said, “Sometimes you hear people say things like what happened during Operation Sindoor. Now if you ask them, ‘Oh, you’re really worried, why don’t you look at your own area?’ And ask yourself, what’s the level of violence there, how much risk is being taken, how concerned are the rest of us about what you’re doing? But that’s the nature of the world. People don’t do what they say. And we have to take it in the same spirit.”

Furthermore, Jaishankar said that his talks spanned the political, business, and technology domains.