There is no change in BJP's position on nuclear deal: Advani

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Aug 30 (UNI) In the face of turbulent undercurrents within the BJP against his 'soft' stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani today clarified that there was no change in the party's stand on the issue.

Addressing the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, Mr Advani said his interview in Hyderabad on the nuke deal has been projected as 'BJP's U-turn' from its earlier position.

''My interview was intended to clarify how the BJP's opposition to the agreement stemmed from the considerations of pure national interest and not from any anti-Americanism, a motivating factor for the Left parties,'' Mr Advani said.

The BJP's stand on the issue was 'consistent and unambiguous' in a series of statements over the last two years and each one of them was fully deliberated and approved by most senior leaders in the 'guidance and presence' of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said.

Party insiders had taken exception to his statement that the party was not opposed to the nuclear deal provided it was governed by the national law and not the Hyde Act of the US.

This statement created stir in the political circles and was viewed as 'deviant' to the official line of the party. The issue came up for disussion in the policy making core group leaders meeting yesterday, which included former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and BJP President Rajnath Singh.

Mr Advani's statement was released to the media by BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

Mr Advani said he had sought to emphasis through the interview that the provisions of the Hyde Act militated against India's sovereignty, particularly concerning the conduct of foreign policy.

''When enforced, they will seriously impair our nuclear weapons programme, and thereby jeopardise our strategic objectives.'' Former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, the pointsman of the BJP said there was no problem within the party as projected in a section of the media.

''Mr Advani is our leader and he has clarified the position in an unambiguous manner,'' he remarked.

UNI

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