BJP gave 'no more Pokhran' assurance to US: Advani

Bhopal, Sep 22 (UNI) Strongly criticising the communists for ''destabilising'' the UPA government on the Indo-US nuclear deal, senior BJP leader L K Advani today said the BJP always favoured better relations with the United States and immediately after the Pokhran II, the NDA government gave an ''assurance in writing'' to the US not to undertake further nuclear tests.

''Communists and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was then leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had opposed the then NDA government's bold decision to conduct nuclear test antagonising America, which later realised that economic sanctions against India was not good'', Mr Advani said.

''Then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had given in writing an assurance to the US that India would not further undertake nuclear tests'', he said in a massive public meeting here coinciding with the party's three-day national executive meeting that began yesterday.

Mr Advani said unlike the communists, who were opposed to everything associated with America, the BJP wanted to improve ties with the US. He also criticised the communists for their blind support to all Chinese actions.

''Despite their influence being limited to Cuba and Kolkata and to some extent in Kerala, the communists were flexing their muscle with a meagre strength of 60 MPs and destabilising the UPA government,'' he pointed out.

UNI