India Condemns Pakistan for Cropping Modi From SCO Photo

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Samajwadi Party condemned the Government of Pakistan after the Prime Minister's Office shared an edited group photograph from the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek. The modified image, posted on September 2, 2026, cropped out Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and several other leaders, leaving Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the center.

Shinde described the act as provocative, petty, and extremely unfortunate, asserting that such actions cannot diminish Modi's global stature or popularity. During his remarks, Shinde referenced Operation Sindoor, noting that Indian armed forces had previously destroyed eleven airbases and camps in Pakistan following a terror attack in Pahalgam. Other Indian officials characterized the move as a cheap and disgraceful act, suggesting it was a reaction to Modi's summit remarks where he urged member states to avoid double standards in countering the ecosystem of terrorism.

A few hours after the initial post, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif shared the original, uncropped photograph. Separately, Shinde noted that the Government of India is providing assistance to Nepal following devastating floods that killed 1,000 people, with the Shiv Sena party deploying rescue teams to aid relief operations.