Mumbai, Sep 24 : Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar said on Wednesday that the controversy over Pokhran-II nuclear tests was unnecessary.

Addressing a press conference along with senior defence scientist R. Chidambaram here Kakodkar said, Pokharan-II nuclear tests gave India capability to build deterrence in both the fission and fusion categories.

Earlier, on September 15 in a signed statement Atomic Energy Secretary K. Muralidhar also ruled out the claims and stated that “ the thermonuclear test had to be kept at 45 KT in order to protect the nearby Khetorai village from the combined yield of the thermonuclear and fission test.”

Dr. Santanam, who was heading the Defence Research and Development Organisation in 1998 said Operation Shakti test conducted at Pokhran was actually below the capacity claimed. (ANI)