Nuke deal has mortgaged India's right to conduct future tests: BJP

New Delhi, Oct 2 (UNI) Asserting that the Indo-US nuclear deal cleared by the US Senate had mortgaged India's rights to conduct any future nuclear tests in perpetuity, the BJP today said it would review and renegotiate the deal for the country to reserve its right to conduct tests if the NDA comes to power after the Lok Sabha polls.

BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the unambiguous and conclusive remarks of United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice that any nuclear test by India will have serious consequences including the automatic termination of all cooperation coupled with numerous sanctions had clearly vindicated the BJP stand that India had abrogated its right to conduct any future test.

The extraordinary commitment made to the US Senate, which reiterated that the US President could waive all cooperation if India were to conduct nuclear test which could prejudice NPT objective, certainly deserved an explanation from the PM and from those who vociferously boasted about the deal.

He said India had announced unilateral moratorium on future nuclear tests which could have been reversed by India considering the national security needs. However, this option was done away with since India had accepted deal before a multilateral forum like Nuclear Suppliers Group.

As India is geographically surrounded by 'insecure atmosphere', it could not abrogate its future rights, he said. The sovereignty of the nation had been mortgaged in perpetuity and the PM had led the nation to a blind trap. India will have to pay a heavy price for intransigency of Dr Singh, he said.

He said at a time when the two countries are poised to ink the deal during the weekend, the US had not given any 'binding assurance' about the continued fuel supply, as assured by Prime Minister to Parliament. There was also no consent for stockpiling of lifetime fuel fupply for the power reactors to overcome the disruption.

The deal had explicitly conditioned India not to go for future tests as the US has retained the right to terminate the supplies at its own discretion. India has been made to accept the deal with its hands tied to its back, he remarked. There are no obligations but only privilege to the NSG and India is led to the blind trap by the PM and his team who talks of win-win situation, he said.

''The deal may be a victory for the UPA but will be a collossal loss for India which has been made to accede the NPT regime without even signing it,'' he said.

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