The Hindu Business Line : Nuke deal does not take away right on future tests

New Delhi, Nov 28 Despite the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh’s, assurances that the Indo-US nuclear agreement did not impinge on India’s right to conduct future nuclear tests, the Government came under severe attack from both the Opposition BJP and its Left allies on Wednesday as the Lok Sabha debated the pact.

Intervening in the short-duration discussion on the deal, Dr Singh turned down charges made by the Opposition and asserted that the deal does not take away India’s right to conduct a nuclear test.

“If a necessity for carrying out a nuclear test arises in future, there is nothing in the agreement which prevents us from carrying out tests,” he said.

Opposition

The Prime Minister interjection came when the Leader of the Opposition, Mr L.K. Advani, was making his speech.

In response to Mr Advani’s statement that the terms of the ‘123 Agreement’ with the US would tie the hands of the Government from conducting a nuclear test in future, Dr Singh said all that the Government had done was only to reiterate the previous BJP-led NDA government’s earlier commitment to a unilateral moratorium on conducting nuclear tests.

The CPI(M), which is extending outside support to the Government, termed the agreement as a “surrender” to Washington and said that the Left “will not take it lying down.”

The BJP declared that if it came to power at the Centre, it would “renegotiate” the deal to delete “adverse” provisions, failing which it would reject it.

Summing up his opposition to the deal, Mr Advani asserted that it curbs India’s right to carry out future tests, treats India as a “junior partner” and could lead to even American inspectors to oversee Indian reactors.

“The 123 Agreement as it stands today is unacceptable,” Mr Advani said, adding that “no self-respecting country can agree to it.” Stating that “Indira Gandhi did India proud, Vajpayee did India more proud”, Mr Advani said while the former was responsible for Pokhran I, the latter did Pokhran II nuclear tests. “Are you determined to see that there will be no Pokhran III. Our objection to the deal is because it prohibits India from doing another test,” he said.

Mr Advani suggested that the Government should find ways to renegotiate the deal.

He also accused Left parties of “flip-flop” on the issue, saying they were more concerned about the timing of the polls.

The discussion was carried out under Rule 193 of the Rules of Procedure of the House, under which there is no voting at the end of the debate.