Uma Bharati demands assurance on Indo-US nuclear agreement

Jalandhar, July 31 (UNI) Bharatiya Janshakti Party president and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharati today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to assure the nation that the Indo-US nuclear agreement will not pave the way for setting up of US defence bases in India.

''This aspect should be made clear before the people'', she said while addressing a media conference here.

Expressing her disagreement on signing of a such treaty she said India itself was emerging as an atomic super power in the world and in such a situation it was essential to be an US ally.

She said if the agreement was aimed at turning India into a US base then her party would protest against the agreement.

She also condemned the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) for not raising its voice over this issue which is of vital national importance.

Ms Bharati said she was expecting that the BJP would create a din over the issue but the latter had surprisingly opted to maintain ''a silence'' in this regard.

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