SRINAGAR: While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that India wants an end to the ongoing standoff with China in Eastern Ladakh, his party’s UP Chief said the Pre Minister has decided he dates for war with China and Pakistan. Singh was performing Shastra Puja at Sukna, at the headquarters of the Army’s 33 Corps in West Bengal and Swatantra Dev Singh was talking to his workers at an MLA’s home.

Rajnath Singh

“India wants an end to the ongoing border tension with China and the restoration of peace. This is our objective. But at times, some nefarious incidents keep happening,” the defence minister said. “I am very confident that our soldiers will never allow even an inch of our land to be taken away by anyone.”

The minister praised the army for their courage and valour. “I can say with confidence and on the basis of concrete information that the courage and deeds of Indian soldiers during whatever has happened at the India-China border in Ladakh recently will be written in golden letters by historians,” Singh was quoted saying.

However, his senior party colleague in UP almost declared the war.  Reports said that Swatantra Dev Singh linked his war claims to the beginning of construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, and the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India that gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status.

The video clip of his speech that the host MLA, Sanjay Yadav put in the public domain suggests that the “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided when there would be war with Pakistan and China.” He actually said in Hindi: “Sambandhit tithi tai hai,” which means the “date has been decided.”

The comments that other BJP leaders downplayed came in the midst of the tensions between India and China in Ladakh where the two armies are in a high alert confronting each other. There have been some casualties as well in the past summer.

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