- Eknath Shinde criticized Pakistan for allegedly removing Prime Minister Modi from a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) group photograph, describing the act as 'unfortunate' and 'provocative.'
- Shinde stated, "This is extremely unfortunate" and condemned Pakistan's behavior as typical and provocative, asserting that no one can remove Modi from the hearts of 140 crore Indians.
- He referenced Operation Sindoor, highlighting recent military actions against terrorism in Pakistan and warning that minor provocations would not diminish Modi's standing.
- Pakistan's PMO posted a cropped image of the SCO leaders, notably leaving out PM Modi and four other leaders, positioning PM Sharif in the center.
- In response, PM Modi shared the full photo on his account, showing all leaders together, contrasting with the cropped version.
- Journalist Zafar Chowdhury criticized the cropped photo as undiplomatic, stating it was discourteous to crop out world leaders to position Sharif as a central figure.
- Former minister MJ Akbar called the act the 'heights of pomposity,' criticizing Pakistan for making itself a laughing stock at international conferences.
- Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif later posted the full image on his X account, mentioning Pakistan's sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and the importance of water treaties.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde criticized Pakistan for cropping Prime Minister Narendra Modi from a group photo of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), labeling the act as 'unfortunate' and 'provocative'.1
Shinde stated, “This is extremely unfortunate. What kind of behaviour is this? Tampering with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph and removing it is yet another typical act by Pakistan.” He emphasized that such actions would not diminish Modi's popularity, asserting, “No one can remove Prime Minister Modi from the hearts of 140 crore Indians.”
The incident occurred when the Pakistan PMO shared an edited image from the SCO summit, omitting Modi and other leaders, which drew criticism from various quarters. Journalist Zafar Chowdhury remarked, “That’s undiplomatic and discourteous, Pakistan!” Former Union Minister MJ Akbar described it as the “heights of pomposity”, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
Shinde also referenced recent military actions against terrorism, stating, “We have just witnessed Operation Sindoor... our armed forces completely destroyed terrorist bases in Pakistan.” He warned Pakistan against further provocations, asserting that “if Pakistan ever again tries to provoke or challenge India, it will have to face the consequences.”3
The edited photo incident follows Modi's call for unity against terrorism during the SCO summit, where he emphasized the need for a collective stance against double standards in combating terrorism.
The image shared by the Pakistani PMO notably excluded Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and others, focusing instead on leaders like Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Shinde referenced Operation Sindoor, saying Indian forces destroyed 11 terrorist bases in Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack. He also noted PM Modi received Uzbekistan's highest civilian award, the 36th such honor from a country.”
The News Mill
Firstpost
