NSA Ajit Doval's speech not about China or any specific situation, govt officials clarify

NEW DELHI: The National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was speaking purely in a civilisational and spiritual context and was not referring to any country or specific situation at the religious function in Rishikesh on Saturday, government officials clarified. The officials said any attempt to twist the NSA's statement, made in a spiritual context, was uncalled for as he was not speaking about either China or the ongoing conflict in the Eastern Ladakh sector.

The clarification came as certain media reports suggested that the NSA was speaking in the context of China and the Ladakh situation. Doval who was in Rishikesh's Parmarth Niketan ashram on October 24 had addressed the devotees there about the spiritual power of India, where he also mentioned Swami Vivekanand. "You said we have never attacked anyone and there are many views about it. If there is a threat to the country, then we should have attacked as it is important to save the country," the NSA had said.

"We will fight where you want us to fight, that is also not mandatory. We fight where we feel the threat is coming. We have never done it for selfish reasons. We will fight a war on our land and others' land too but not our selfish reasons but for the highest good of others," he had further stated. The NSA suggested that states are bound by physical dimensions but the nation is an emotional bond which is bound by the common thread of spirituality and culture in which there is a collective sense of pride and role of our Gurus and spiritual centres is to guard this larger sense of collective identity.