Santhanam hits out at Narayanan; wants independent inquiry into N-test

Former DRDO scientist K Santhanam today demanded the setting up of an independent expert panel to look into the data of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, and hit out at national security advisor MK Narayanan for questioning his knowledge of the 1998 nuclear tests.

Santhanam, who had raised doubts over the success of the thermonuclear test, said Narayanan had given a "misleading" statement over the 1998 explosions as he was not NSA at the time.

Taking objection to Narayanan's claim that he did not have access to the data generated by the nuclear tests, Santhanam said "the NSA is barking up the wrong tree".

He rejected Naryanan's contention that the review of the thermonuclear test by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) should set at rest all doubts on the efficacy of the nuclear explosion.

Santhanam, who was the DRDO co-ordinator for the 1998 nuclear tests, said there was a "strong and clear" need to form a group of stalwarts and give them access to all the
relevant data.

"Only then will the credibility (about the assessment of the tests) be increased... AEC and BARC cannot be judge and jury, more so when the issue relates to their claims of the
thermonuclear yield," he said at an interaction at the Indian Women Press Corps here.