Union minister VK Singh cautioned on Saturday, 27 April 2019, against considering Pakistan as a friendly nation, saying it will be India's "biggest weakness".
"I was told in Barmer that a candidate has said that there is no danger from Pakistan," the minister of state for external affairs told reporters at the BJP office here.
"This will be our biggest weakness if we consider a country, which is seen as a centre of terrorism and is engaged in proxy war against India, as a friendly nation," Singh, the former Indian Army chief, said.
Responding to a question on allegations that the BJP was politicising the armed forces, he said the bravery of the forces has been praised in the past as well and there is no politics in it.
"Being a former chief of the Army, I can say that forces in the country are not involved in politics. They are apolitical. Whenever our forces showed their valour, be it in 1971, 1962 and 1965 or in 1999, their bravery has been praised," he said.
"If such praises now are taken as politicisation of the forces, then I would humbly say that those who are saying this do not understand politics," he added.
He said a country cannot progress if it doesn't respect its soldiers. "No one is politicising the forces and there is no politics in the forces. Let the honour of the forces remain honour. There is no politics in it."
"Army takes action on its level to dominate LoC and it is their responsibility to keep the borders safe. It involves risk and a mistake can cost (a soldier his) career. Forces do not talk about their operations. On the other hand one government comes and says that we as a government are with you. Our forces are getting this kind of support from the government in the last four and a half year," he said.
On BJP chief Amit Shah's claim about casualties in the Balakot air strike, the minister said that it was an estimate that came after National Technical Research Organisation reported there were 300 mobile phones active there before the strike.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)