Siachen, June 2: After taking charge over India's new Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh on Monday, June 2, visited Siachen base camp and interacted with the Indian Army soldiers deployed on the world’s highest battlefield. This was the first outstation visit of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader in the new role. Rajnath Singh Holds High-Level Meet After Taking Charge As Defence Minister.

“Visited a forward post and Siachen base camp today and interacted with the Army personnel serving in this region which is also known as the ‘the highest battlefield in the world’,” Rajnath Singh tweeted. "Our soldiers in Siachen are performing their duty with great courage and fortitude even in extreme conditions and treacherous terrain. I salute their vigour and valour," he said in another post.

Tweet by Rajnath Singh:

Speaking at Siachen base camp, Singh said, "I salute your spirit, your valour from the bottom of my heart. Jawans and officers in the Armed forces have a sense of pride, that is the strongest sentiment in the heart of any human." Singh was accompanied by Army chief General Bipin Rawat.

Defence Minister also paid tribute to the martyred soldiers. “Paid tributes to the martyred soldiers who sacrificed their lives while serving in Siachen. More than 1100 soldiers have made supreme sacrifice defending the Siachen Glacier. The nation will always remain indebted to their service and sacrifice,” Rajnath Singh wrote on Twitter.

Notably, Singh's predecessor Nirmala Sitharam also visited the glacier to understand the challenges faced by Indian Jawans. In October 2014, PM Narendra Modi spent Diwali with soldiers at the Siachen base camp to boost their morale. George Fernandes, who was defence minister from 1998-2004, had paid more than 30 visits to the glacier.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 03, 2019 04:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).