‘Historic blunder’: Himanta says India missed chance to stop Pakistan from becoming nuclear state; claims Israel offered help | India News

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

NEW DELHI: Assam chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarma mentioned on Saturday that the Congress made a “historic blunder” by permitting Pakistan to develop into a nuclear energy within the Nineteen Eighties with out taking motion. He mentioned Pakistan has since used “nuclear blackmail” to block worldwide intervention.“At a time when nations today act decisively to neutralise nuclear threats, India’s tragic inaction during the 1980s remains a cautionary tale of what could have been—and what wasn’t,” the Assam CM mentioned in an extended publish on X. Sarma mentioned intelligence from R&AW had confirmed Pakistan’s uranium enrichment at Kahuta. In his publish titled “Congress’s Historic Blunder: How India Let Pakistan Become a Nuclear State”, he claimed Israel offered help—from intel to joint strike planning. He mentioned Jamnagar Air Base was shortlisted as a launch web site and the Indian army supported a pre-emptive strike on Kahuta.“India had the capability and consensus to eliminate the threat before it became a reality. Yet at the last minute: Indira Gandhi hesitated, fearing international fallout,” the chief minister alleged. He added that Rajiv Gandhi later “shelved the plan, prioritising diplomacy over deterrence under foreign pressure”. According to Sarma, in 1988 Rajiv Gandhi signed a no-strike nuclear pact with Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto, pledging not to assault one another’s nuclear websites. He famous, “A decade later, Pakistan tested nuclear weapons in 1998. India was pulled into a costly nuclear arms race. Kargil, proxy terror wars, and cross-border strikes have since occurred under Pakistan’s nuclear shield.”“To this day, Pakistan uses nuclear blackmail to deter international action and legitimize its rogue behaviour,” he mentioned. Sarma additionally accused the CPI(M), an INDIA bloc ally, of promising of their 2024 manifesto to roll again India’s nuclear deterrent if elected. “Where strong leadership demands resolve and foresight, Congress offered caution and delay. A historic window to safeguard India’s long-term security was squandered—for short-term diplomatic comfort,” he mentioned.