Defence Minister Rajnath Singh celebrated Holi with the armed forces in Leh on Sunday and praised them for protecting the country from external threats while living through extreme weather conditions.
Singh applied tilak with "gulal" on soldiers' foreheads. He also laid a wreath at the War Memorial here to pay tributes to soldiers who laid down their lives in the line of duty.
The defence minister was earlier supposed to celebrate Holi with soldiers in Siachen, but the visit was cancelled due to inclement weather in the region. Singh was accompanied by Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande and General Officer Commanding, Fire and Fury Corps, Lt Gen Rashim Bali.
"Like we have the national capital in Delhi, the economic capital in Mumbai, and the technological capital in Bengaluru, Ladakh is India's capital of courage and bravery.
"When everyone wants to hide in their homes due to extreme weather conditions, you stand up to protect the country from its enemies with unwavering willpower," Singh said.
Despite being unable to visit Siachen to celebrate Holi with the soldiers, Singh spoke to them over the phone and extended Holi greetings to them.
(With inputs from PTI).
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