India on Friday extended support to Bangladesh’s demand for justice over the 1971 atrocities, asserting that Pakistan continues to remain in denial of “well-documented” crimes committed during the crackdown that led to the Liberation War.Reacting to recent developments, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the events of 1971, particularly the launch of Operation Searchlight, constituted a “genocide” marked by systematic killings and mass sexual violence.“We are all aware of the terrible atrocities committed by Pakistan during Operation Searchlight in 1971. The genocide involved systematic and targeted killing of millions of innocent Bangladeshi people and mass sexual violence against women,” Jaiswal said.He noted that the violence forced millions to flee into India as refugees and “shook the conscience of the world”, while regretting that Pakistan “remains in denial to this very day”.​ “We support Bangladesh in its desire for justice,” he added.The remarks come days after Bangladesh marked Genocide Day, commemorating the victims of the March 25, 1971, crackdown by Pakistani forces.Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman described the military operation as one of the “most heinous genocides in history”, recalling the indiscriminate killings of civilians, intellectuals and security personnel across key locations, including Dhaka University, Pilkhana and Rajarbagh Police Lines.The statement termed the violence a “pre-planned massacre” and linked it to the armed resistance that evolved into the nine-month Liberation War, culminating in Bangladesh’s independence.Even as Dhaka renewed its push for global recognition of the 1971 genocide, Pakistan signalled no shift in its position, stating that the events of 1971 were “complex” and “open to different interpretations”.India’s statement aligns with its long-standing position backing Bangladesh’s call for acknowledgment and accountability, amid continuing differences between Dhaka and Islamabad over the historical narrative of the 1971 war.