Editing Smiling Buddha (section)

===Domestic reaction===
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gained much popularity after the test, which had flagged from its heights after the 1971 war with Pakistan. The overall popularity and image of the [[Indian National Congress|Congress Party]] was enhanced and it was well received in the [[Indian Parliament]]. In 1975, Sethna, Ramanna and Nagchaudhuri were honoured with the ''[[Padma Vibhushan]]'', India's second highest civilian award. Five other project members received the ''[[Padma Shri]]'', India's fourth highest civilian award. India consistently maintained that this was a peaceful nuclear bomb test and that it had no intentions of militarising its nuclear programme, but according to independent monitors, this test was part of an accelerated [[Indian nuclear programme]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Reaction and Long Pause|url=http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/India/IndiaPause.html|publisher=Reaction and Long Pause|access-date=15 January 2013}}</ref> In 1997 [[Raja Ramanna]], speaking to the ''[[Press Trust of India]]'', maintained:

{{Blockquote|The Pokhran test was a bomb, I can tell you now.... An explosion is an explosion, a gun is a gun, whether you shoot at someone or shoot at the ground.... I just want to make clear that the test was not all that peaceful.|Raja Ramanna, <sub>to Press Trust of India in 1997</sub><ref name="Smiling Buddha"/>}}