India wants end to border tension with China but won't cede an inch of land: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday made some very important remarks with respect to border tension with China. He made the remarks after performing "Shastra Puja" -- the customary worship of weapons -- at the Sukna-based headquarters of the Indian Army's 33 Corps in Darjeeling district of West Bengal on the occasion of Dussehra. Rajnath Singh on Sunday made it clear India wants an end to the border tension with China in eastern Ladakh, but at the same time asserted that Indian soldiers will never allow even an inch of the country to be taken away by anyone.

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

After performing the puja, Singh inaugurated a new road in Sikkim through a video-conference from Sukna.

"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 the historians," the minister said.

The defence minister's "Shastra Puja" at the strategically important military base was a message to India's adversaries, a military official said.

Singh has been performing "Shastra Puja" during Dussehra for the last several years, including during his tenure as the Union home minister in the previous NDA government.

Almost all formations of the Indian Army along the LAC are on a very high level of alert in view of the border row with China in eastern Ladakh.

The defence minister had arrived at the Sukna-based headquarters of the 33 Corps on Saturday.

In an address to a group of soldiers at the base on Saturday evening, Singh said India always tried to maintain good relations with its neighbours, but situations arose from time to time when its armed forces had to make supreme sacrifices to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

The defence minister also reviewed the combat preparedness of the Army during a high-level meeting at the military base.