NEW DELHI - A former Indian Army chief General V.P. Malik Sunday said the scientists in the country need to reassure the army about the nuclear capabilities of the country after a former scientist questioned the results of the tests conducted in 1998.

A former scientist of the premier military research body, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) K. Santhanam has questioned the yield of the thermonuclear device tested May 11, 1998 and called the tests a “fizzle”.

They (the army) need to be reassured about the weapon system they use and about the planning of what kind of the yield they have when they hit the target, Malik said Sunday.

Dubbing the arguments of the former scientist and president A.P.J Abdul Kalam as unconvincing, Malik asked the scientists to come clean on the controversy.

Let us not forget that Dr Santhanam was part of his (Kalam’s) team. And it came as quite a shock with Dr Santhanam himself mentioning that it was a fizzle. Of course, again he was referring to the thermonuclear weapon. So, Dr Kalam’s statement was not quite convincing, said Malik.

“You can convince people only through the scientists, particularly those who participated in this exercise. I am referring to Dr (Rajagopal) Chidambaram and his whole team from the Atomic Energy Commission.

“I don’t think we can be convinced easily by people who are not scientists. This is a matter of technology and these are the people who can discuss and reassure you,” Malik told CNN-IBN in an interview.

Malik said that the remarks of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue were more of a political statement.

In things like this, particularly for the armed forces, they have to be convinced by people who have developed these weapons,” he added.