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Congress tells government to explain changed security perceptions, E K Nayanar echoes view

The Congress today reiterated that the government owed an explanation to the people about the change in security perceptions by it in the last two months which forced it to go ahead with a series of nuclear blasts on Monday and today.

Reacting to the second round of nuclear blasts conducted today, Congress spokesperson Ajit Jogi said the party stand remained the same and had not changed since the first round of underground nuclear test on Monday.

Keeping in mind the celebrations planned by the ruling party for the nuclear blasts, Jogi said it was an achievement of the nation and should not be politicised.

''It is an achievement which the entire nation is proud of and is an outcome of nearly forty years of sustained work in nuclear research,'' he said. The Congress once again congratulated the scientists and engineers involved in today's explosions.

Echoing a similar view, Kerala Chief Minister E K Nayanar today said no power on earth had the right to question India for conducting nuclear tests, but Prime Minister A B Vajpayee owed an explanation to the nation on the timing, provocation and the political circumstances surrounding Monday's explosions.

Talking to newsmen after a cabinet meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, he said the BJP government should also explain the economic, political and technological implications of the tests conducted by it within two months of coming to power.

Nayanar said the country's economy would be affected if sanctions were imposed by countries like the United States, Japan and Germany. There was no proper explanation from Vajpayee to this, he added.

Meanwhile, the series of nuclear blasts conducted by the BJP-led government and its likely impact in terms of sanctions imposed by Western powers, will dominate tomorrow's meeting of the Congress Working Committee.

There will be an extended meeting of the CWC on Friday and Saturday to be attended by Pradesh Congress Committee presidents and legislature party leaders. The report of the task force chaired by former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma will also come up for detailed examination.

The task force was constituted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to suggest ways and means to rejuvenate the party, especially in the Hindi heartland. The meetings are also expected to take up the demand in certain states for change in PCC leadership.

The Congress president has already reconstituted the AICC and the posts of joint secretaries have been given up. Two frontal organisations, Mahila Congress and Youth Congress heads have been replaced and it was not known if the exercise was complete.

UNI

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