Defence minister Rajnath Singh’s Ladakh trip has been postponed, sources said.
Rajnath was scheduled to visit Ladakh on Friday along with army chief M.M. Naravane.
“The minister’s planned visit to Ladakh on Friday has been postponed and it will be rescheduled,” a defence ministry official said. He did not cite any reason for the change of plan.
The sources said the chief of defence staff, Gen. Bipin Rawat, would visit Leh on Friday.
If clarity does not emerge on Rajnath’s rescheduled visit soon, it would suggest the government is not keen on nettling China now. China has always viewed with suspicion visits by elected Indian leaders to some of the border areas.
Had Rajnath gone ahead with the Friday trip, it would have been the political leadership’s first visit to Ladakh following the escalation of border tensions with China since early May.