BHOPAL, 28 December 2004 — Former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao might have died a lonely man but two days after his death, his successor, Atal Behari Vajpayee, gave him the ultimate tribute, crediting him for the success of India’s nuclear program.
While Rao’s death put his tenure into sharp focus with his own party men desisting from acknowledging his contributions to contemporary India, the support has now come from an unexpected personality.
Participating at a writers’ meet in Gwalior, a somewhat emotional Vajpayee said that when he took over as prime minister in 1996 (the 13-day stint), Rao gave him a small piece of paper. When he unfolded it, he was surprised to read “bomb is ready you can go ahead.”
“Rao had asked me not to make it public, but today when he is dead and gone, I wish to place the record straight.”
He added: “Rao told me that the bomb is ready. I exploded it. I did not miss the opportunity.”
Vajpayee said he never blamed the Congress on this count. “They too wanted a strong India to counter Pakistan and China. In foreign policy matters, they never lacked commitment,” he said. “But they might be having some problems.”
The former prime minister is in his hometown Gwalior in connection with his 80th birthday, which was celebrated on Saturday. However, mourning Rao’s demise, Vajpayee celebrated his birthday simply and many state government functions were called off.
Vajpayee said he has been given the sole credit for the Pokhran nuclear explosion. “But I wish to give credit to him too. The country’s nuclear program was never halted,” he said.
Rao was often accused of refraining from nuclear test under the United States pressure. In a recent book, former US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbot has claimed that President Bill Clinton’s efforts had dissuaded Rao from conducting nuclear test.
Shedding light on reasons that facilitated Pokhran II, Vajpayee said his government had full knowledge that Pakistan was making similar efforts to go nuclear. “Moreover, we could never ignore the China factor,” he said.
