Seeing that the nuclear option was closing down, India tried to test in 1995, but American satellites picked up the test preparations, and Washington was able to pressure New Delhi into backing off. In 1998, however, a new conservative government, buoyed by consensus in India for overt nuclear capacity and set against American nonproliferation fundamentalism, ordered stealthy nuclear test preparations to avoid satellite surveillance. The tests conducted in May 1998 led to widespread criticism outside India but received great support within the country.
