Rajnath Singh pays brief visit to Singapore on his way back from Indonesia

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid a brief visit to Singapore on Saturday on his way back from Indonesia.

In Singapore, Singh paid tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose by laying a wreath at the Indian National Army (INA) marker, the defence ministry said.

The defence minister paid a two-day visit to Indonesian capital Jakarta to attend a meeting of the 10-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and some of its dialogue partners.

"After completing his tour to Indonesia, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on his way back home, paid a brief visit to Singapore on November 18," the ministry said.

It said the construction of a monument to commemorate the "Unknown Warriors" of the Indian National Army (INA) was proposed by Netaji himself and he had laid the foundation stone in July 1945.

"Paid homage at the INA Memorial marker in Singapore. My heartfelt tributes to the 'Unknown Warriors' of the INA," Singh posted on X.

In 1995, the National Heritage Board of Singapore erected the INA marker on the same spot as the original memorial, the ministry said in a statement.

"The defence minister also offered prayers at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, which is among the oldest Hindu temples in Singapore dating back to 1855," it said.

Singh also visited the Indian Heritage Centre in the "Little India" locality of the city-state.

The centre was set up under the National Heritage Board in 2015, documenting the story of the journey of Singaporean Indians, according to the defence ministry.