EAM Jaishankar made such remarks during his interaction with Indian community members in Singapore
While interacting with members of the Indian community in Singapore on Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said “a terrorist is a terrorist” and one should not allow terrorism to be excused or defended because of a different explanation offered to it.

“There are some issues where actually there is at least clarity. Don’t believe that there is confusion…you take it in any language but a terrorist is a terrorist in any language. Never allow something like terrorism to be excused or defended because they are using a different language and different explanation,” Jaishankar said while interacting with members of the Indian community in Singapore on March 24.

In a question to how Indian officials approach sensitive and linguistically different topics with their global counterparts, Jaishankar said in diplomacy, different countries bring their own cultures, traditions and sometimes their language or concepts to debate.

“It's also natural that there will be different viewpoints. And what diplomacy is about is to find a way of reconciling it and coming to some kind of agreement,” EAM Jaishankar said.
 
He said there can be issues where two nations genuinely can have different viewpoints and there “will be issues when they are used as a cover as an excuse as a justification.”
 
Jaishankar said one should be able to spot the difference and figure out a way how to deal with it.
 
Earlier in his address, the EAM who is on a three-day visit to Singapore from March 24, recapitulated relations between India and Singapore to the days of independence struggle when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose established the Indian National Army.
 
“Saga of Netaji is something which is inextricably linked to Singapore. Sense of India-Singapore relations goes back to the role that Singapore played 80 years ago in hosting Netaji and providing a platform for the Indian freedom movement,” Jaishankar said.
 
“He (Netaji) remains a visible inspiration for our entire nation,” Jaishankar added as he joined some 1,500 Indian community members at the screening of the Singapore-made short film on Subhas Chandra Bose.