Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) India will continue with its ‘no first use’ policy on nuclear weapons, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday declared, rejecting BJP leader Jaswant Singh’s suggestion for a revisit of the doctrine. However, he maintained that the nation would continue to hold a “credible minimum deterrence” against nuke threats.

“Our policy (no first use) remains as it exists. Government is committed to safeguard India’s security interests in consonance with our declared doctrine,” Krishna said, replying to a debate on the demands for grant for his ministry, which the Lok Sabha later passed.

Initiating the debate Tuesday, former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh called for a review of the country’s ‘no first use’ doctrine that was declared by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government soon after the 1998 nuclear tests, citing changes in the global scenario in the 21st century.

Krishna also disagreed with the opposition that India was getting increasingly isolated in world fora, and said the massive support it received in the UN Security Council (UNSC) polls showed the country had arrived at the centrestage of global affairs.

The minister said he was surprised that the opposition was claiming India had been isolated.

“I very strongly strike a note of disagreement,” he said, referring to the elections to the UNSC’s non-permanent seat in October last year when India obtained 187 of the 190 votes polled.

“Is it isolation of India or is it a message to the entire world and to the cynics that India has arrived at the centre stage of global affairs?” he asked.

Stressing the importance of India as a world player, Krishna said the nation “occupies a strategic position in our region and the Indian Ocean region.”

“India’s views have been recognised as the voice of reason, maturity, and balance in tackling international problems,” he said.

Earlier Wednesday, National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon said he will contact Jaswant Singh to discuss the ‘no first use’ policy.

“We will ask him what is the alternative and take it from there,” Menon told reporters at the Indian Women’s Press Corps here.

India has a policy of no-first use primarily against non-nuclear weapon states.

At the same time, India retains the option of using nuclear weapons in case of a major attack by biological and chemical weapons. These had been enshrined in the official nuclear doctrine released in January 2003.