BJP's solace for Congress on nuclear deal

New Delhi, July 28 (UNI) The BJP and Left parties may be on the same side in opposing the India-US nuclear deal making the Congress squirm in discomfort, but the BJP today offered some solace when it said there was a sea of difference between them and the Communists on a number of issues.

BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra told newspersons that his party's opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal stemmed from the fact that it went against ''national interest'' to cap the military potential in return for fuel for its power plants from the US.

But the Left was always opposed to India going nuclear while they unhesitatingly applauded Russia and China becoming nuclear weapon states, he claimed. The main reason for their opposition to the Indo-US deal had roots in their dislike for the US and not that it was against the country's interests, he added.

He said the people very well understood the motives for the Communists adopting ''double standards'' after seeing their actions and speeches on different occasions, be it modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports, bank mergers, price hike on essential commodities or petroleum fuels.

They sat on dharnas, conducted hartals and addressed rallies throughout the country but supported the government in Parliament after ridiculing and branding it as ''useless administrator''. Their show of anguish against outsourcing in nationalised banks is certain to meet the same fate, Mr Malhotra said.

He said for the BJP, support or opposition to a policy was dictated by national interest and not by the likes or dislikes for any country. The party supported India going nuclear when it was not in power and conducted the tests when it was in power, he maintained.

UNI MCN/KAS MSJ BD1623