The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Saturday said that a needless controversy had been created over the Pokhran II nuclear tests that took place in May 1998.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate a terminal for the supply of crude oil at Cairn India''s Mangala oilfield in Barmer, Dr. Singh said: "Kalam (former scientific adviser to the Defence Minister Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam) has already clarified that the tests were successful. A needless controversy has been created over the Pokhran tests."

The Prime Minister's comment came after former DRDO scientist Dr. K. Santhanam had controversially revealed that the Pokhran II tests were not entirely successful.