Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the country may see a major shift in its nuclear weapons doctrine by doing away with the ‘no first use’ policy in the future, a private media outlet reported.
‘No first use’ is a pledge by a nuclear power to not use its nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by the opposition using its nuclear arms.
“Till today, our nuclear policy is ‘no first use’. What happens in future depends on the circumstances,” the Indian defence minister said while addressing a gathering in Pokhran, the site of India’s nuclear tests in 1998.
In a tweet, Singh added:
The comments come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India ever since New Delhi revoked Article 370 of its constitution and robbed occupied Kashmir of its special status.
Condemning the move, Pakistan has approached the United Nations (UN) against the development that can pave way for the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the disputed valley.
