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Mahajan talks tough, says life-time mission fulfilled

Rajesh Ramachandran in New Delhi

The nuclear test was a life-time mission fulfilled, says the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

And the government run by it feels that it has only done what it had promised all these years.

Pramod Mahajan, the prime minister's political advisor, today said the party leaders had stood for exercising the nuclear option all their lives. "We have stood for it throughout our lives. What is the problem if we do it at the earliest? The security threat perception of the earlier governments was also the same, the only difference is that the present PM has taken a bold decision," he said.

The party had, in its manifesto and the national agenda for governance, promised that its government would set up a national security council which would conduct the first-ever strategic defence review based on which the nuclear policy would be reviewed.

"We will establish a National Security Council to analyse the military, economic and political threats to the nation, and also to continuously advise the government. This council will undertake India's first ever strategic defence deview. In order to ensure the security, territorial integrity and unity of India we will take all necessary steps and exercise all available options. Towards that end we will re-evaluate the nuclear policy and exercise the option to induct nuclear weapons," the national agenda had stated.

Mahajan's explanation about the secrecy is that the government cannot discuss the matter before a test: "You can't discuss, debate and then do a nuclear test. Coincidentally it is also the silver jubilee year of the Pokhran test."

Even the BJP's detractors agree that not much significance is to be attached to the timing of the explosions. "It had to be done at some point of time, other than that timing is not important," former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral told Rediff On The NeT.

Asked if the test was meant to divert attention away from the squabbling partners of the ruling coalition, Mahajan retorted: "The test has nothing to do with the so-called inner contradictions within the coalition. Do you think the prime minister read Hegde's statement in the morning and then decided to explode the nuclear device? I fail to understand the theory that there should be a provocation. Threat perception was the only consideration."

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