Seizure of ‘radioactive’ material claim
India blasts Pakistan for making unsubstantiated statement
New Delhi: India slammed Pakistan on Thursday for making an unverified claim that some material seized in Jharkhand’s Bokaro recently was uranium, describing it as an attempt to malign the country.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the material seized was not uranium and asserted that India maintains a stringent law-based regulatory system for internationally-controlled items, which is reflected in its “impeccable” non-proliferation credentials.
“The Department of Atomic Energy of the government of India, after due evaluation and laboratory analysis of the sample, has stated that the material seized is not uranium and not radioactive,” MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
“The gratuitous remark on India by Pakistan’s foreign ministry, drawing upon a media report, indicates their disposition to malign India without caring to check or verify facts,” he added.
Bagchi was replying to a question on the issue at a media briefing.
“Let me also reaffirm that India maintains a stringent law-based regulatory system for internationally-controlled items, which is reflected in our impeccable non-proliferation credentials recognised by the international community,” he said.
Last week, Pakistan’s foreign ministry called for a probe into what it called the seizure of radioactive material.
Press Trust of India
