VIJAYWADA: Prime Minister PVE Narasimha Rao said last week that India will not compromise with its defence preparedness and said the country will not forsake its nuclear option and asserted the country was not in any way lagging behind Pakistan on security matters, “We are not going to forsake our nuclear option,” Mr. Rao said while addressing a mammoth convention of Congress workers here from nine coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao said that India will not accept dictator of others. On the issue of its security.

He said that situation at the International level has changed completely, and it is no more the same as it was during the period of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. He said that after the end of cold war and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the arms race had come to an end and everything was going smooth but now with Pakistan acquiring more aircraft the situation had changed and it was posing new problems for the country.

Mr. Rao said that preparations were under way to match Pakistan’s acquisition of arms and the main battle tank ‘Arjun would be on display during the Republic Day parade. Similarly, he said, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will also soon be ready and would be one of the best combat aircraft in the world. Mr. Raoishere for a day’s visit to the State.

Lashing out at the Opposition, particularly the NFLF, Mr. Rao exhorted the people to choose between the “Congresses for stability of Opposition for instability.”

Article extracted from this publication >>  February 7, 1996