Army chief shrugs off nuclear threat

Such weapons are not for fighting wars but for strategic capability, General Singh says

New Delhi (PTI) In the midst of reports of China and Pakistan bolstering their nuclear arms, Army chief General V.K. Singh yesterday said such weapons are not for fighting wars but to have a strategic capability.

“Nuclear weapons are not for war fighting, let’s be quite clear on it. They have got a strategic capability, and that is where it should end. I and my Army are not bothered about who has nuclear weapons. We have our task cut out, and we will progress along that,” he told reporters here.

The Army chief said this in response to a query on any possible nuclear eventuality from China in wake of the new Mountain Strike Corps being raised by the Indian Army. China has been reportedly helping Pakistan in its nuclear power programme and has supplied reactors to that country.

Beijing is also believed to have been tacitly assisting Islamabad in the nuclear weapons field.

On reports claiming that Pakistan may deploy its forces along its borders with India as a defensive measure in case of any terror strike here, he said, “It does not affect our options in any way. Those are their options; what they want to do, they are most welcome to do.”

He denied any knowledge of the Finance Ministry blocking some procurement plans of the Army. The country’s leadership was quite alive to the needs of the armed forces, he said.