NSA dismisses Santhanam's claims on Pokhran-II as 'horrific'

National Security Adviser (NSA) MK Narayanan has termed a former DRDO scientist's claims on Pokhran-II nuclear tests as "horrific" and asserted that India has thermonuclear capabilities which have been verified by a peer group of researchers.

Narayanan said that the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), which comprises a peer group of scientists, had last week come out with the "most authoritative" statement on the efficacy of the 1998 nuclear tests and no more clarification was required from the government on the matter. "They AEC were satisfied in 1998 and they were satisfied in 2009. Now what are you going to discuss," he added.

Narayanan said that the AEC, an independent Commission and the highest body in such matters, was asked to study the data of the 1998 nuclear tests once again in the wake of the controversy over the efficacy of the hydrogen bomb following the statements of former DRDO scientist K Santhanam.

"I think, we have done what we have done. Beyond that I do not know what we can do," he said. Eminent scientists like C N R Rao, P Rama Rao and M R Srinivasan were members of the AEC and the doyen of the nuclear programme Raja Ramanna was part the apex nuclear body which went into the test results in 1998. 

"The thermonuclear device had a yield of 45 kilotons. I have chosen my words carefully -- 45 kilotons and nobody, including Santhanam who has absolutely no idea what he is talking about, can contest what is proven fact by the data which is there," Narayanan said.

The NSA claimed that a "very authoritative piece" about the nature of the tests written by AEC Chairman Anil Kakodkar and senior scientist SK Sikka was being "examined by physicists all over the world."

Narayanan said that former AEC chairman P K Iyengar had admitted that the yield of the thermoculear test "might have been 45 kilotons and had raised doubts on the fission and fusion reactions happening at the same time.

"All the atomic scientists are part of the establishment. Those who are sceptics, the same ones Dr Iyengar, Dr AN Prasad, the same ones were sceptical about the civil nuclear initiative," he said.

Narayanan said Santhanam was not privy to the information on which the test measurements were taken. "As the NSA, I know what the DRDO is supposed to do and what it knows. I think he is not merely exaggerating, I think he is talking something which is horrific," he said. He said there was no need for a public debate on the issue as it required to have a clear idea of the explosive ballistics, neutron physics, material sciences and computer simulation.

Asked about the doubt former Army Chief VP Malik had raised about the efficacy of the hydrogen bomb, the NSA said, "I think the person to answer that is the present chief and not the past chief on this matter."

"We have thermonuclear capabilities. I am absolutely sure. We are very clear on this point. If you hit a city with one of these you are talking about 50,000 to 1,00,000 deaths," the NSA said.

Narayanan said it was a matter of concern for the government the "kind of interested propaganda being put by various people" in media. On US move to press for a UN Security Council resolution calling upon all countries to sign the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he said that the issue had already been raised with the Americans who have assured India it would not affect the civil nuclear agreement.

Narayanan said India also talked to countries with whom it has signed nuclear agreements against the backdrop of US bid to get G-8 group of countries to ban sale of enrichment and reprocessing technologies to non-nuclear states. 

 Narayanan termed  ex-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's admission that Islamabad was deploying American military aid meant for fighting terrorism against India, as an "old story". He added Pakistan's acquisition of sophisticated weaponry from America in the last three to four years was more worrying than any modification of Harpoon missiles.

Strongly refuting the need to rethink the 'no first use' doctrine, Narayanan said: "It is a very well thought out doctrine. We are clear for various reasons. For us it is only a deterrent. We are committed to it."

On reports of Pakistan enhancing its nuclear arsenal, he said "the fact that the country which is not particularly friendly to us is building up its nuclear arsenal is certainly a matter of concern."