Rio de Janeiro, 6 July

There should be no hesitation in imposing sanctions against terrorists and the victims and supporters of terrorism cannot be weighed on the same scale, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the BRICS Summit on Sunday while calling for united efforts to combat the menace.

In an address at a session on peace and security, Modi said the "brutal and cowardly" Pahalgam terror attack was a direct strike on the "soul, identity and dignity" of India.

Describing terrorism as the "most serious" challenge facing the globe, the prime minister said the 22 April attack was not just a blow to India but to the entire humanity.

The top leaders of BRICS held deliberations on a range of pressing challenges facing the world on the first day of the grouping's two-day annual summit in this seaside Brazilian city.

“Condemning terrorism should be our 'principle', not just a 'convenience'," Modi said in an apparent reference to China that supported Islamabad with military supplies during the 7-10 May conflict between Indian and Pakistani militaries.

"If we first see in which country the attack took place, against whom, then it would be a betrayal against humanity. There should be no hesitation in imposing sanctions against terrorists," he said.

Modi's call for imposing sanctions on terrorists without hesitation comes against the backdrop of China blocking efforts at the UN Security Council in recent years to list several Pakistan-based terrorists.

The prime minister also asserted that the victims and supporters of terrorism cannot be "weighed on the same scale”.

Modi's remarks came against the backdrop of unease in New Delhi over several countries hyphenating India and Pakistan following their 7-10 May military clashes.

"For personal or political gain, giving silent consent to terrorism, supporting terror or terrorists, should not be acceptable under any circumstances," he said.

"There should be no difference between words and actions regarding terrorism. If we cannot do this, then the question naturally arises whether we are serious about the fight against terrorism or not," he asked.

The prime minister expressed his "heartfelt gratitude" to the friendly countries who stood with India and supported it following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin skipped the summit, hosted by Brazil in its capacity as the current chair of the influential grouping.

The BRICS has emerged as an influential grouping as it brings together 11 major emerging economies of the world, representing around 49.5 per cent of the global population, around 40 per cent of the global GDP and around 26 per cent of the global trade.

In his remarks, Modi also expressed serious concerns over the situation in Gaza.

"From West Asia to Europe, today the world is surrounded by disputes and tensions. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is a cause of great concern," he said.