145;PM disowned India146;s n-legacy146;

The BJP on Monday charged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with 8220;starving the country8217;s atomic programme of funds8221; and accused his Government of 8220;disowning India8217;s nuclear legacy8221; on the 10th anniversary of Pokharan-II.

8220;The UPA Government forgot the fact that India8217;s nuclear programme has been beyond partisan politics and it is a legacy of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,8221; said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad. 8220;As Finance Minister, Manmohan Singh had starved the nuclear programme of necessary funds for expansion. The same is again being witnessed when he is the PM.8221; Prasad said the allocation for Department of Atomic Energy was lowered by US 529 million in the last Budget 8220;without any explanation8221;.

While China today had more than 100 ICBMs, 8220;India8217;s programme is not even on the drawing board8221;, he said, adding the UPA Government was 8220;compromising8221; the country8217;s deterrent-building capacity.