PM opposed to nuke tests when he was FM: Jaswant

New Delhi, Aug 1: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today sought to quell the controversy over the 'mole' in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), saying former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh should name the person or ''let the country draw its own conclusion''.

Rising to speak after a long but frequently interrrupted speech by the BJP leader, who held the portfolios of External Affairs, Defence and Finance in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, the Prime Minister appealed to Mr Singh's ''chivalry'' to name the mole, saying the former had in a recent television interview implied that ''snooping had taken place and was continuing'' in the PMO.

''Signing of CTBT was the prominent issue of that time and Dr Singh, who held the Finance Ministry in the Narasimha Rao ministry, had opposed any nuclear test as it would have economic consequences,'' Mr Singh said, leading a surprised Dr Singh to term the charge ''irrelevant'' and asking him to name the 'mole'. Mr V Narayanasamy (Congress) also called on Mr Singh to reveal the name of 'spy and the mole' The Leader of Opposition maintained he had shared all information and the 'full text' with the Chair and he had sent the documents to Prime Minister in advance as well, although the latter was ''disinclined'' to grant him audience and hear his views.

As the Prime Minister sat down after making the brief speech, the House erupted in furore with the majority of the BJP members on their feet and a few even entered the well of the House. Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee's attempt to steer the Defence Cantonment Bill proved futile amid the uproar forcing the Chairman to adjourn the House till 1500 hrs.

Justifying his claim that someone was leaking information about India wanting to conduct nuclear tests, Mr Singh said it could not have been a coincidence that Canada, United States and France all declined to offer nuclear assistance obviously because of this leak. ''These revelations had put India under 'intrusive surveillance' of the United States and India had to put off the nuclear tests on many occasions. Even Mrs Gandhi who conducted Pokhran I tests could not repeat it in her tenure in the early 1980s because the US satellites spotted the ground preparations,'' he said, citing the autobiography of former President R Venkataraman, who had served as Defence Minister in Mrs Gandhi's government.

The Leader of Opposition said that the NDA Government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee had conducted the Pokhran II tests, surprising the the U S and the West exceptionally well. ''These tests were by India were totally opposed by these countries. It is to the credit of the country that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi too had surprised the world in 1974,'' he said.

Expressing his surprise about the Prime Minister and his office wanting the information he had ''on his letterhead and bearing his signatures,'' Mr Singh, also a former Defence Minister, said it was an established practice that intelligence information was not given on one's letterhead, and that too with a signature.

When there was no indication that Mr Singh would reveal the name of the 'mole,' there were tumult in the Houise as Mr Singh made an attempt to explain his views on the Congress' demand to name the suspected 'mole.' With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his collegues pressing on Mr Singh's to name the 'mole', Mr Singh said he was surprised at the way the PM and his colleagues were reacting. ''I will share with the House whatever information and the full text after due authentication at an appropriate time. I have sent the copy to Prime Minister in advance,'' Mr Singh told the agitated House.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had allowed Mr Singh to explain his position following the notices seeking a discussion on the issue by Mr Narayanasamy (Congress) and SP's Shahid Siddiqui.

Taking exception to Congress MPs insulting him and calling him a 'liar', Mr Singh said that the Treasury benches should allow him the ''courtesy of listening to him in peace.'' The House was adjourned for 30 minutes at 1330 Hrs after the tumult refused to die down despite repeated attempts by the Chairman to pacify both sides to allow the discussion to proceed and reach some conclusion.

Both sides accused each other of disrupting the proceedings with the treasury bench members consistently demanding that Mr Jaswant Singh identify the 'mole.' An unruffled Jaswant Singh was repeatedly interrupted by demands of 'mole ka naam bol' (disclose the name of the mole) from the treasury benches, but retorted the House was not an ''interrogatory chamber'' but a ''chamber for discussion'' and he was doing it.

However, the treasury bench members were in no mood to listen.

Mr Rajnath Singh (BJP) charged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who were both present in the House, with not stopping their members from interrupting the Leader of Opposition.

Mr Jaswant Singh said that would abide by what they were directed by the Chair. He said he was a bit disappointed that he was not being allowed to speak what the then NDA government did when they caame to know of the information.

Mr Jaswant Singh said that in 1995, information had been leaked about the nuclear tests from the office of the Prime Minister.

''...in 1998, the principal challenge before the country was how to somehow...(interruptions). In 1998, we had to ensure that before anything else, tests had to be conducted within two months of coming to office. That was the objective...'', Mr Singh said amid loud protests and persistent demands for identifying the mole.

As the noise refused to die down, the Chairman adjourned the House till 1400 Hrs.

Regarding the American role in India's nuclear development, Mr Jaswant Singh told the House that the main aim of the US was to ''somehow, anyhow'' restrain India from achieving nuclear weapons possessing capability. In 1998, the NDA Government, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had defeated the American attempts to ''shackle'' India's nuclear ambitions, he said to the thumping of desk by the Opposition benches.

Stating that the consequences of a 'mole' in the highest office was immediately felt, Mr Jaswant Singh said vital information was ''reached to the U S, to the White House'' and India could not achieve nuclear weapon capability in 1997-98. His statement evoked cries of ''whom'' from the treasury bench.

Drawing attention to the July 18, 2005 India-U S nuclear deal, he said ''ten years after the attempt, the approach of the U S government is fixed, unchanged and constant -- its views have not changed.'' As several Congress members persisted in their demand for the name of the 'mole' throughout his speech, Mr Jaswant Singh said, ''Who is the person? It is very clear, those in the know of the decision making process. The note is very clear...'' Saying he had endeavoured to explain the matter, the BJP leader said the note was clear enough to realise who was responsible. ''If it (the UPA Government) does not act, it is up to them.'' To Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jairam Ramesh's demand that the 'mole' be unmasked as ''all of us who have worked in the Prime Minister's Office have come under suspicion'', Mr Jaswant Singh's response was a couplet from Sant Kabir before sitting down.

UNI

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