Cong flays nuke doctrine

The Congress felt the doctrine could have been brought out earlier but there was no consensus on the issue among the ruling coalition8217;s partners themselves. 8220;Sometimes I doubt if there is a government at all. They are not running a college union, they are running a federal government,8221; Mukherjee added.

He criticised the BJP8217;s nuclear policy as a whole with stress on the reference to India8217;s nuclear deterrent. 8220;What kind of a statement is it that our nuclear deterrent solved the Kargil issue as said by the Prime Minister8217;s Principal secretary Brajesh Mishra yesterday while releasing the doctrine. The Pakistani intruders knew very well that India is a nuclear state. It didn8217;t prevent anything.

8220;As far as we know, the Kargil episode came to an end after the intervention of the US President perhaps agreed to by the Indian PM. Till now we have no details of what transpired between Clinton and Vajpayee on the phone but the safe passage to the intruders also had a role in ending the crisis,8221; the AICC general secretary said.

On the BJP8217;s call for a debate on the issue, Mukherjee felt there could be a debate but only in a 8220;cool atmosphere when there is a regular government which can steer the debate8221;. He said the BJP8217;s nuclear policy is full of contradictions as it first claimed that China was the reason for the country8217;s nuclear tests. 8220;And now, they say that Pakistan is the target.8221;

Mukherjee also dismissed the claim that the country possessed a nuclear deterrent now. 8220;Where is the question of deterrence. The US has conducted 1,047 nuclear tests, Russia 750, France 250, China 250, UK 75 and India has six which they say is the basis of our deterrent. Whom are they trying to fool8221;

The Congress added that a nuclear arms race may be stirred because of the 8220;irresponsible acts of the government8221;.