At the recent SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Bishkek, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "We must not forget that terrorism has no nationality and no theology."

This sounds like a universally accepted principle. No one disputes that terrorism should not be linked to any religion or nation. It is a formulation that fits within global consensus and international counterterrorism discourse.

But the significance of this statement does not lie only in what was said. It lies in what followed, and how quickly the broader message shifted in India's domestic and political environment.

Soon after the speech, the narrative around it was reframed in India's media and political debate. The emphasis moved away from universality and towards a sharper focus on Pakistan as an "epicentre of terrorism". This shift once again reflects a pattern that has become increasingly visible in recent years: the coexistence of two parallel narratives - one diplomatic and universal for international consumption; and........

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