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Congress MP from Goa in the Rajya Sabha Shantaram Naik on Tuesday questioned the statement of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who had attacked India’s time tested policy of No First Use policy as in the matter of nuclear power. Mr.  Naik said, making his zero hour submissions, that Defence Minister said recently at the book launch of (Retd.) Brig Gurmeet Kanwal’s ‘The New Arthashastra: A security strategy for India’, that “”I wonder why we say that we don’t use nuclear weapons first.””  He went on to say that “”it doesn’t mean that India has to use nukes, but why rule out.””

In a press statement, Mr. Naik said that this is his thinking what Parrikar says but according to him there is no change in any government policy. Mr Naik said, “”If written down strategy exists or you take a stand on a nuclear aspect, I think you are actually giving away your strength in nuclear power.”” Defence Minister recently articulated his âÂÂpersonalâ view which is contrary to IndiaâÂÂs No First Use (NFU). This doctrine has come in for adverse comments from many strategists, Mr Naik said.

If defence ministry is for making aggressive postures then how was that the Government failed to ensure reciprocal visit by India when it permitted Pakistani delegation to visit Pathankot into sensitive areas, Mr Naik said. The strike that India made against the then Bangladesh under the occupation of Pakistan rendering the country into two pieces during Prime Minister Indira  Gandhi’s time, finds no mention by Defence Minister.

The Defence Minister of the country gives credit to RSS ideology for surgical strikes rather than giving credit to bravery of our soldiers, Mr Naik said. If India proposes to alter the policy on the use of nuclear strike, he has to put his proposal before Union Cabinet instead of making sou motto statement, which he is not entitled to make, Mr Naik said.”