'Had no intention of carrying out surgical strikes in Pak'

CHENNAI: India had no intention of carrying out "surgical strikes" in Pakistan if another terror attack emanated from that country as it did not believe in a tit-for-tat policy, a top defence official said today.

"We are a nation which does not believe in doing tit for tat. Our complete policy with respect to development as well as security is purely from the defensive point of view. We do not subscribe to aggression," Adviser to Defence Ministry, V K Saraswat, said.

He was responding to reporters' queries on leaked US cables on whistle-blower website Wikileaks in which officials had, among other things, talked about India's 'Coldstart', a plan to attack Pakistan without provoking a nuclear response.

"We do not subscribe to aggression. Even during the 26/11 (terror attacks on Mumbai), despite such a kind of a provocation our country has taken a very matured view," he said.

He said any fear that India will go for any surgical strike was the "imagination of people."

On fears of nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists in Pakistan, Saraswat said the issue of safety of nuclear assets has always been an international issue.

He said all nations should make efforts to ensure that there was a "robust system" of storing, distribution, transportation of nuclear material and ensuring that it does not fall in the wrong hands.

"To that extent, there is a message, not just for Pakistan, but all nations that besides developing nuclear technology, the security of the nuclear material and assets, both in respect of radiation and pure usage, have to be taken care of," he said.

The Indian nuclear establishment boasted of such a robust and secure method, he said.

"So we are very confident that in our system, in our way of doing things, nothing can go into the wrong hands," he said on the sidelines of a supplementary convocation of the Satybama University here.