Threat of a nuke war with Pakistan has increased: Former NSA

November 20, 2016 09:24

Former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon has said the threat of a nuclear war with Pakistan has increased, but criticised Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for suggesting that India should give up its no first use policy.

He believes the September 29 surgical strikes, following the Uri terror attack, were inevitable, but disagrees with the Narendra Modi governments decision to go public with the information.

Menon had played a key role in the India-US civil nuclear deal and was Indias foreign secretary when the 26/11 terror attacks took place in Mumbai in 2008.

Menon told India Today TVs Karan Thapar in an interview that he was wrong in advising the then Manmohan Singh government to retaliate after the 26/11 terror attacks. Pranab Mukherjee, then the external affairs minister, had seemed to agree with him. While Menon didnt reveal Singhs response, India had eventually not retaliated militarily.

On Parrikar, Menon said the defence minister did not have a right to voice his personal opinion on nuclear policy in public, particularly when that opinion contradicted the official policy of the country.

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