People join the army to die - says Minister

Bihar Chief Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar intervened to demand an apology from a senior minister in his government who asked this morning, "What's so special about the funeral of soldiers? It keeps happening."

The callous remark was made by Mr. Bhim Singh, a cabinet minister in the Bihar government, as four of the five jawans killed in a deadly ambush in Kashmir by the Pakistani army were cremated with full state honours in different parts of his state today. The minister also declared, "People join the army to die" before his party said his comments were unacceptable.

"I apologise and express regret for my colleague's remarks.  The whole nation is indebted to the martyrs" said Mr. Kumar, who has been derided by the opposition for not attending the funerals. He has been in Delhi since yesterday. When the coffins of the soldiers arrived in Patna on a special plane last evening, not a single minister was at the airport to receive them.

"The people of the country will not forgive or forget (this)," said Rajiv Pratap Rudy of the BJP, which was evicted from the Bihar government in June after a 17-year partnership was called off by Mr Kumar's party, the Janata Dal United.

The soldiers who were cremated today were members of the 21 Bihar regiment and were ambushed early on Tuesday morning while patrolling near the Line of Control.