New Delhi, Nov 11: A day before India and Japan is to sign a civil nuclear cooperation pact, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has triggered a controversy when he said that the country should not get into the first use debate with regard to nuclear weapons.
“Why should I bind myself? I should say I am a responsible nuclear power and I will not use it irresponsibly. This is my (personal) thinking,” Parrikar said
A defence ministry spokesperson clarified that what the minister stated was in his personal capacity and did not reflect the government’s official position.
The no first use policy with the nukes was put in place by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government after five successful nuclear tests at Pokhran in May 1998.
While Pakistan too tested its nuclear weapons within days of the Indian test, Islamabad never announced any policy on the use of nukes.
“Media will publish that the nuclear policy has changed. It has not changed in government. It is my concept. As an individual I also get feeling. I am not saying you have to use it first,” Parrikar said at a book release function here on Thursday. Interestingly, the BJP in its 2014 election manifesto stated that if comes to power it would “study in detail India’s nuclear doctrine, and revise and update it, to make it relevant to challenges of current times.”
Stressing on the importance of unpredictability in strategic affairs, Parrikar said, “Hoax can be called off. Prior to the surgical strike, the Pakistan defence minister used to threaten India with the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons. From the day surgical strike happened, no threat has come. They realised that we can do something which is not well defined.”
“What he (Parrikar) said was that India being a responsible power should not get into first use debate. But once again it is clarified that this was his personal opinion,” pointed out the defence ministry spokesperson.
The minister’s statement comes hours before New Delhi and Tokyo are to ink an agreement on nuclear cooperation, which was in the works for several years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Tokyo and the pact is expected to be signed on Friday after the summit meeting between Modi and Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.
Once realised, the Indo-Japan agreement would clear the decks for bilateral cooperation in peaceful use of atomic energy.
A nuclear deal with Japan – the only country that experienced the devastation by atomic bombs – is important for India, as it would be yet another sign of global acknowledgement of New Delhi's impeccable non-proliferation record.
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