Rubio’s Comments on Pakistan Are Making Headlines in India
New Delhi: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said India’s concerns regarding Pakistan continue to revolve around cross-border terrorism and the presence of extremist groups operating from Pakistani territory.
Speaking during his visit to Delhi, Rubio acknowledged that India has repeatedly raised concerns over terrorist organisations allegedly targeting India from across the border.
“India is always pointing to the fact that there are armed terrorist groups operating from Pakistani territory that target India,” Rubio stated while responding to questions on regional security issues.
Rubio also addressed reports suggesting Pakistan may have played a role as a mediator or facilitator in the ongoing US-Iran tensions. He clarified that the matter did not come up in conversations with Indian officials during his visit.
According to Rubio, India’s concerns with Pakistan remain focused on terrorism-related issues rather than Islamabad’s diplomatic engagement in the Iran situation.
“But as far as the role they played as a mediator and a facilitator in the Iran situation, it never came up,” he said, adding that India’s differences with Pakistan are “different” in nature.
The US Secretary of State also commented on concerns over racist and offensive remarks directed at Indian Americans on social media platforms in the United States. Rubio said the internet often amplifies extreme opinions and anonymous commentary, making it difficult to judge the authenticity of such remarks. He stressed that isolated online comments should not be viewed as reflective of official US policy or public sentiment towards India. Rubio also underlined the close relationship shared by US President Donald Trump with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The President loves India. The President is a big fan of India and Prime Minister Modi,” Rubio said during his remarks.
Rubio’s India visit comes weeks after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri travelled to Washington for talks aimed at stabilising bilateral relations. Rubio also visited the Taj Mahal and is expected to attend the upcoming Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting during his four-day trip.
