‘No-first-use’: BJP assuages fears triggered by its manifesto

The current strategy was adopted after a series of nuclear tests in 1998.


Afp April 15, 2014
A file photo of BJP President Rajnath Singh and prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. PHOTO: REUTERS

NEW DELHI:


The head of India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), tipped to win the ongoing national elections, has ruled out any change in the country’s ‘no-first-use’ nuclear weapons policy. The BJP sparked speculation about an end to the doctrine last week when its manifesto said that the party would ‘revise and update’ India’s policy.


“The no-first-use policy for nuclear weapons was a well thought out stand... We don’t intend to reverse it,” BJP President Rajnath Singh told the Hindustan Times newspaper in an interview published on Monday.

The policy was adopted after a series of nuclear tests in 1998 during the last BJP-led coalition government which led to international condemnation and an embargo being placed on the country by Western powers.



The policy was intended to gain India greater acceptability as a nuclear power, despite it not being a signatory of the 1970 UN Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

Any BJP government under hard-line prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, a nationalist promising strong leadership, is expected to have a more muscular foreign policy.

Any change in nuclear policy would be of most significance to Pakistan and China. Neither reacted to news of the possible review and analysts have pointed out that the ‘no-first-use’ policy is a mere promise that could be ignored by New Delhi in a conflict situation. China was the first country to adopt the ‘no-first-use’ nuclear policy in 1964.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2014.

COMMENTS (1)

yasir | 9 years ago | Reply

Modi's Modifesto changes like his Marital status, I wonder how people in India trust him

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ