'NDA government's 1998 Pokhran nuclear test ensured India's national security': S Jaishankar
Jaishankar recently recalled the pivotal 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests conducted under the NDA government, emphasizing their role in ensuring India's national security. He also underscored the government's ongoing efforts in countering terrorism and bolstering border infrastructure, highlighting the political significance of such decisions for the country's future.
«This day in 1998, an NDA Government finally exercised India's nuclear weapon option. That momentous decision has since ensured our National Security. The current NDA Government has built on that foundation, robustly countering terror and building our border infrastructure,» EAM posted on X.
«The country must know who stands where when it comes to National Security issues. Our political choices are eventually choices about the future of Bharat,» he added.
Historical Context and Test Details:
Twenty-six years ago, on May 11 and 13, 1998, India conducted a series of nuclear tests at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan's desert. These tests, known as the Shakti series, included a 45 kt thermonuclear weapon, a 15 kt fission device, and a 0.2 kt sub-kiloton device on May 11, followed by two more tests on May 13 in the sub-kiloton range (0.5 and 0.3 kt). The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) later confirmed the test yields through radiochemical studies of bore-hole samples.
Reflecting on the event, Jaishankar stated, «That momentous decision has since ensured our National Security.» He further added, «The current NDA Government has built on that foundation, robustly
