India Says Pakistan 'Lives in Denial' Over 1971 Bangladesh Genocide

India has stated that Pakistan continues to deny responsibility for the mass killings and sexual violence carried out during Operation Searchlight in 1971 — the military crackdown that preceded the creation of Bangladesh.

At a weekly press briefing in New Delhi on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan's actions during that period "shook the conscience of the world," and reaffirmed that India stands with Bangladesh in its pursuit of justice.

The MEA highlighted the systematic killing of millions of innocent Bangladeshi civilians and widespread sexual violence against women — atrocities that forced millions to flee across the border into India.

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Jaiswal's remarks came in response to a question about a recent message shared by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to mark Genocide Day.

The message included archival footage depicting what it described as a pre-planned massacre by Pakistani forces — showing brutal attacks on unarmed civilians, intellectuals, and students at Dhaka University, Pilkhana, and Rajarbagh Police Lines.

The footage described the events as one of the most heinous genocides in modern history.

The development is being viewed as a significant shift in the position of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which has previously faced criticism for downplaying the scale and nature of the 1971 atrocities.

On the diplomatic front, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Paris on March 26–27, where he raised India's longstanding position on UN Security Council reforms.

Jaishankar also called for streamlining peacekeeping operations and strengthening humanitarian supply chains during the Paris discussions.

On the sidelines of the summit, the minister held bilateral meetings with counterparts from France, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Brazil, the UK, Germany, and Ukraine — underlining the breadth of India's current diplomatic engagements.

Amid ongoing tensions in West Asia, the MEA confirmed that four India-flagged LPG tankers have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz without incident.

Jaiswal said India is in regular contact with regional stakeholders, including Iran, to safeguard its energy supply lines.

The spokesperson also addressed concerns about the safety of Indian nationals in Gulf nations, stating that no evacuation is currently required.

Hundreds of commercial flights between India and regional destinations are continuing to operate on a normal schedule, he added.