Publication Date:
Sat, 2004-04-10 03:00
BHUBANESHWAR, 10 April 2004 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said yesterday that the United States offered to supply India with nuclear bombs in an attempt to dissuade the country from launching nuclear tests in 1998.
Vajpayee told an election rally here that he rejected Washington’s offer because India needed to demonstrate it was capable of building its own nuclear weapons.
“When I told them (Americans) you also have made that bomb, they replied when required you can take that from us. I told them frankly this bomb needs to be made and not borrowed,” Vajpayee said.
He said the offer came as the United States encouraged India not to go ahead with nuclear tests in 1998.
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