Patna: A minister in the JD(U) government in Bihar on Monday endorsed comments by Narendra Modi, the newly- appointed prime ministerial candidate of former ally BJP, that the border trouble with Pakistan and China could only be solved by a strong leadership.

"I support him 100 per cent for saying that India`s troubles along the borders with Pakistan and China are due to a weak leadership in Delhi," said Gautam Singh, the Science and Technology minister in the Nitish Kumar Cabinet.

Singh`s support for Modi is bound to raise eyebrows within JD(U) considering the fact that Kumar`s aversion to Modi is no secret.

The minister, who has a background in defence forces, said it was due to the country`s weak leadership that Pakistan had dared to behead Indian soldiers recently at the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

"China has encroached on our land and is regularly moving towards fresh Indian territory only due to the fact that, given our weak leadership, we are not in position to resist them," said the minister who took voluntary retirement from Danapur regiment to enter politics.

Asked how JD(U) would take his praise of Modi, Singh said he does not see any reason for his party to get angry over this.

Singh is related to one of the soldiers, sepoy Premnath Singh, killed recently in cross-border firing by Pakistani forces in Poonch district of J&K.

He said that being an ex-serviceman, he agreed with what Modi had said about Army and border problems at Rewari in Haryana yesterday.

"If somebody says Bharat Mata ki jai, what is the harm in joining the chorus?" he wondered.

PTI