Two days after President Barack Obama mentioned India’s nuclear programme with Pakistan’s in the same breath and urged both countries to stop moving in the “wrong direction”, India responded saying that his comments reflect a “lack of understanding of India’s defence posture.”
“Conventionally, India has never initiated military action against any neighbour. We also have a ‘no first use’ nuclear weapons policy. Since the context was the Nuclear Security Summit, the President’s own remark that ‘expanding nuclear arsenals in some countries with more small tactical nuclear weapons which could be at greater risk of theft’ sums up the focus of global concern,” said Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.
India’s statement was prompted by Mr. Obama’s remarks following the summit in Washington DC. “The other area where I think that we need to see progress is Pakistan and India, that subcontinent, making sure that as they develop military doctrines, they are not continually moving in the wrong direction,” he said.