A throwaway line at an election rally from Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had the wires sizzling, former US State Department officials issuing heated denials and government spokesmen stepping in to lower temperatures and clarify the statement.Speaking here yesterday, the Prime Minister touched on how India had tested its nuclear device despite acute pressure from the West.‘‘The Congress government wanted to make a nuclear device but retraced its step when threatened by the West with sanctions,’’ he said, adding that he had pointed out to these countries that they, too, had nuclear bombs. ‘‘They told me if you need, you can have the bombs from us and there is no need for you to make it,’’ said Vajpayee.The Associated Press interpreted this to mean that the US had offered to supply India with nuclear bombs to dissuade it from carrying out its tests in 1998. This saw Strobe Talbott, who was the State Department’s No. 2 official at that time, telling AP that the credibility of Vajpayee’s comment was ‘‘zero, less than zero.’’ ‘‘How were we supposed to make this offer if we didn’t know they were going to do it?’’ he was quoted as saying.Late this evening, a government spokesman clarified Vajpayee’s remarks: ‘‘(The PM) was referring to efforts made by previous govts many decades ago to seek a nuclear umbrella from other powers instead of developing such a capability indigenously.It is a well-known fact that our nuclear tests in May 1998 were conducted without the prior knowledge of any foreign country. Therefore the question of any discussion on an alternative course of action did not arise.’’
