How nuclear India will change in BJP rule

The Bharatiya Janata Party, if voted to power, will "revise" the country's nuclear doctrine to make it "relevant to challenges of current times", said the party manifesto while talking about maintaining the credible minimum deterrent in tune with the "changing geostatic realities".

Releasing the manifesto along with other senior leaders in New Delhi, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi promised to pursue "zero tolerance" approach on internal as well as external security so that no one dares threaten India.

"We will follow a two-pronged independent nuclear programme, unencumbered by foreign pressure and influence, for civilian and military purposes, especially as nuclear power is a major contributor to India's energy sector," the manifesto said.

It said the "BJP will study in detail India's nuclear doctrine, and revise it and update it, to make it relevant to the challenges of current times. We will maintain a credible minimum deterrent that is in tune with changing geostatic realities."

Credible minimum deterrent is the principle of India's 'no-first use' of nuclear weapons under which it wants to maintain assets which can help it in retaliating strongly if attacked by an adversary.

The party also promised to invest in India's Thorium Technology Programme for nuclear energy.

The main Opposition party accused the UPA government of "frittering away" the strategic gains acquired by India in the nuclear programme during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime.

"There will be such a strong government at the Centre that no country dares to threaten us but should feel like being friendly. We will also not threaten any other country but have cooperation. Such will be the capability of our government," he said.

It said solutions would be found to the problems hampering the growth of the defence sector.

"We will encourage domestic industry to have a larger share in design and production of military hardware and platforms for both domestic use and exports in competitive environment," it said.