India's nuclear status out of compulsion : Sonia

New Delhi, Jan 29 (UNI) Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said India would continue to carry forward its "profound" conviction about commitment to comprehensive universal nuclear disarmament.

"Yes, India has nuclear weapons. This became a strategic compulsion for us, born out of the failure to persuade the world to abolish nuclear weapons," she said, while inaugurating an International Conference on "Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment" organised by the Congress in commemoration of the centenary of the Satyagraha launched by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa.

Referring to the blueprint for comprehensive universal nuclear disarmament presented by her late husband Rajiv Gandhi at the United Nations in October 1988, Ms Gandhi said "Just a few days ago, four influential Americans who held very different views while in office, including Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, have drawn attention to his impassioned plea and called for urgent action." More UNI