‘No first use’ nuclear policy faces rethink
India committed in 1999 to not being the first to use nuclear weapons in any conflict
Pokhran is the area which witnessed [Vajpayee’s] firm resolve to make India a nuclear power and yet remain firmly committed to the doctrine of ‘No First Use’.” Rajnath Singh | Defence minister
India’s defence minister hinted yesterday that New Delhi might change its “no first use” policy on nuclear weapons, amid heightened tensions with fellow atomic power Pakistan.
India committed in 1999 to not being the first to use nuclear weapons in any conflict. Among India’s neighbours, China has a similar doctrine but arch-rival Pakistan does not.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made the comment on Twitter after visiting Pokhran, the site of India’s successful nuclear tests in 1998 under then prime minister Atal Vajpayee.
“Pokhran is the area which witnessed [Vajpayee’s] firm resolve to make India a nuclear power and yet remain firmly committed to the doctrine of ‘No First Use’,” Singh wrote. “India has strictly adhered to this doctrine. What happens in future depends on the circumstances.”
‘Ended in 2003’
The statement comes as tensions rise with Pakistan after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government stripped Indian-administered Kashmir of its autonomy, a move sharply condemned by Islamabad. Singh’s comments prompted considerable noise in both India and Pakistan, with Pakistan’s minister for human rights Shireen Mazari tweeting that India “needs to stop lying”.
“India’s claims to NFU ended when on 4 Jan 2003 Indian govt declared it would use nuclear weapons against any [even Chemical or Biological] attack ‘against India or Indian forces anywhere’,” she said.
Observers said Singh’s statement is the clearest so far with regards to a change in India’s nuclear doctrine.
Singh received support from Subramanian Swamy, a hardliner parliamentarian from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Rajnath is correct as to warn about possible review of Vajpayee’s no first use of n weapons since Pak leadership is more crazed today than in 1998,” he tweeted.