India Had Made Hydrogen-Bomb Under Rajiv Gandhi Govt To Counter Pakistan's Nukes, Reveals CIA

The United States¡¯ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has revealed that India under Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 had prepared a Hydrogen bomb to counter the threat posed by Pakistan¡¯s nuclear arsenal.

A team of 36 scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre had prepared this bomb.

"A rapid series of Pakistani tests would compel New Delhi to develop nuclear weapons and touch off a nuclear arms race between the two," the documents said.

AFP

Though Rajiv, who was considered to softer in comparison to his mother and 'Iron Lady,' Indira Gandhi, but on May 4, 1985, he said that India would review its nuclear policy in light of Pakistan¡¯s nuclear programme, according to the documents, The Economic Times reported today

The H-Bomb prepared under Rajiv¡¯s regime was stronger than the bomb tested under Indira Gandhi in 1974. But Rajiv Gandhi government didn¡¯t dare to test it dearing the internation reprisals, the document said.

"China and not Pakistan is perceived as a long-term threat to the Indian security,¡± says the documents.

India next carried out nuclear tests in 1998 under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, inviting sanctions by the Bill Clinton administration. In the eighties, the Ronald Reagan administration had considered sending an emissary to mediate between the rival neighbors.

The documents also said that India was ahead of Pakistan on nuclear technology and "extremely tight" security had made it difficult for the CIA to gather intelligence on the nuclear program.