Lawmakers Critical of Nuclear Tests

Opposition lawmakers challenged the government’s nuclear policy, saying five tests this month overturned a national consensus on nuclear issues and set off an arms race that could bankrupt the nation. But Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee insisted that the nation’s security needs alone guided his government’s decision to conduct the tests. The opposition said Vajpayee’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, which lacks a majority in Parliament, may try to cash in on widespread public support to hold new elections.