India's sovereignty compromised by US Nuke deal

Kolkata, Aug 16: Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi today charged the UPA government with surrendering India's nuclear energy capability by signing the July 18 civil nuclear pact with the US as India's fast breed nuclear reactor programme would come under the US scanner apart from making the country dependent on nuclear energy from the superpower.

Dr Joshi, who arrived here this morning to participate in a panel discussion on Mr Justice Manoj Kumar Mukherjee Commission report on the mysterious disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose after June 1945, told reporters at the Kolkata Press Club the BJP had demanded a thorough discussion on the deal in both houses of Parliament from tomorrow.

The demand had been made despite an assurance by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that no compromise was made in the country's independent nuclear capability,particularly in the energy sector.

Claiming that the deal would severely undermine India's nuclear weapon capability, Dr Joshi apprehended that India's strategic nuclear programme would subsequently be capped by the US and prohibit further tests even for scientific purposes.

''The deal also prohibits India from having the minimum nuclear deterrent capability in case of any foreign nuclear aggression,'' the former Human Resource Development minister and physicist, observed.

Referring to the stand of the CPI(M)-led Left parties both in and outside Parliament, Dr Joshi said instead of following a 'double standard' they should come out with a clear cut policy. Moreover, he said, the Prime Minister must explain to the nation why the government was accepting the deal with such bindings.

Also criticising the Pathak Authority report for giving a clean chit to the Congress in terms of the Iraqi oil deal,the senior BJP leader sought an explanation from the government ''when the Volcker Committee has found enough evidence of its direct involvement in the multi-million dollars deal''. He also demanded that the Volcker Committee report be placed immediaely before the august house.

On former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh's comment that Congress President Sonia Gandhi was aware of the oil deal, Dr Joshi reiterated his party's demand for a discussion in both houses of Parliament to remove the needle of suspicion from Mrs Gandhi.

Asked about the recent comment of party president Rajnath Singh that India should declare war on Pakistan and Bangladesh for sheltering terrorists and waging a proxy war,Dr Joshi said he was not aware of any such remark.

UNI