No Comments On BJP's Manifesto, Says U.S.

WASHINGTON: The U.S. has refused to comment on election manifesto of BJP, which promises to revise India's nuclear doctrine, if voted to power after the Lok Sabha polls.

"We are not going to comment on a platform of a party running for office on ongoing elections. But nothing has changed about our view," State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters.

According to the manifesto released in New Delhi yesterday, BJP had said if voted to power, it will "study in detail India's nuclear doctrine, and revise and update it, to make it relevant to challenges of current times". At her daily briefing, Psaki refused to make any comment on the BJP's election manifesto.

"I'm not going to outline it further. Obviously, these are discussions we have with the Indian Government," she said. Later a senior State Department official told reporters that the U.S., as a matter of policy, would not make any comment on an internal document of a political party in the middle of an election.

"The government (of India) has not changed its policy. It is unlikely we would have much to say before that point," the official said. Referring to the BJP's promise of reviewing the country's nuclear doctrine, Alyssa Ayers, a former senior State Department official, said this element of the manifesto will be of great interest around the world, especially given the past history of the BJP hewing to their platform statements regarding nuclear doctrine.

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