The Congress foreign affairs chief, K Natwar Singh, asked the Vajpayee government to tell the nation what the compelling reasons were that made it go for these tests and whether the decision was taken after an evaluation of the threat perception.

Questioned by newspersons on the possibility of international sanctions as a result of the tests, he said "we are expecting the government to answer these questions." The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu however, said, "we are not bothered if sanctions are imposed. The nation stands united and the people are ready to face all threats unitedly in the interest of the nation".

"The test has given out the impression that the government means what it says," he told newspersons adding thatsome reactions were expected but hoped that good sense would prevail and the world would understand the country's security concerns.

"The nuclear tests have restored the nation's collective self-pride and self-confidence", Naidu said calling upon the people to celebrate the nation's "moment of glory" on May 16.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India, in a joint statement, said the country had been developing nuclear capabilities without relaxing defence preparedness while advocating universal disarmament, non-use of nuclear weapons and avoiding an arms race in the sub-continent.

"Only BJP has advocated a policy of exercising the nuclear option and reiterated this in its election manifesto. "But the decision to go ahead with nuclear tests at this juncture has not been explained nor its international and national implications spelt out," the statement said.