Nothing wrong with developing technology indigenously: IAF Chief

A day after China complained against the test-firing of the Agni-V missile, the outgoing Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, on Wednesday said no one should have problem if India is indigenously developing a technology.

Addressing a press conference at the end of his tenure Raha was responding to a question on China's objection to the testing of the intercontinental ballistic missile.

He said that posturing like these were part of the international diplomacy, and transfer of technology in the field of nuclear proliferation was taking place in the region. However, he did not name any country.

"In international diplomacy, these posturing and signalling will always be there. We should go by our own tasks, meet our own requirements specifically challenges."

"I would not like to comment on what someone else has said," Raha said in his response to a question on China's objection.

He added that in the field of nuclear proliferation, it was "common knowledge" what was "happening in the region in terms of conclusiveness, transfer of technology".

"This is common knowledge, I am not saying anything new. But if we are legitimately developing our capability indigenously, I don't think anybody should have problem," Raha said.

China was accused of handing over nuclear technology to Pakistan. Pakistan has, meanwhile, been accused of handing over nuclear weapon technology to countries like North Korea and Libya.

China raked up an 18-year-old UN Security Council resolution that called on India and Pakistan to abandon their ballistic missiles programme after India test-fired the nuclear capable missile with a range of over 5,000 km -- a range to reach China.

--IANS

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