If no JPC then no Private Mechanism also: Advani

New Delhi, Sep 5: Stating the government had outrightly rejected its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to examine the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Opposition NDA today reiterated that a ''private mechanism'' of the Congress and the Left could not have priority over the JPC.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani said it was not just the NDA which felt that a ''private mechanism'' did not have priority over Parliament to discuss an important issue like the nuclear deal but other parties also endorsed this view. Mr Advani said Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee had informed him about the UPA government's ''inability'' to accept the demand for constituting a JPC.

''He has also informed us that the Government has rejected the demand for amending the Constitution, making it mandatory for the Executive to seek Parliamentary approval before signing agreements involving national sovereignty, security and integrity.'' ''We have told him that the NDA will communicate its response to the Government after holding discussions with its constituents,'' Mr Advani said.

Mr Advani said the demand for a JPC was reasonable but the Government under threats of ''serious consequences'' by the Left parties had accepted a ''private mechanism'' to save itself. He said it did not bother the Opposition if the private motion discussed the issue of ''divorce and alimony'' and other things, but when Parliament was seized of the 123 agreement debate, it(Parliament) shall have priority and not a private mechanism because it represented all political parties and the will of the country.

He said it was ironic that those who were not in authority and power were the prime movers of the mechanism and the government had voluntarily handed over the decision-making power to the CPI(M) and other Left parties. There was now apparently no Central Government effectively holding reins of office; the communists had handed over power to decide the future of India but without any responsibility. That abdication by the Government was a betrayal of their oath, he remarked.

The NDA, he said, could not accept that and the Government must recognise the perilous path they were seeking to tread.

''Parliament is the voice of the people and the demand for a JPC on the issue must be accepted. This is what we accepted,'' he said.

Mr Advani said the NDA was deeply disappointed the way the government had handled the nuclear issue at a time when India and its people were proud about its status as a Nuclear Weapons State. The NDA, he said, had braved the international sanctions and conducted the Pokhran II tests and through the 123 agreement ''we are seeking to check our nuclear status for the sake of nuclear fuel from the US''.

He said it was India's independent decision not to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty because it did not want to accept nuclear unequal status.

He said the NDA or the BJP's opposition to the 123 agreement was not because of its innate anti-Americanism but because it was in the national interest.

''We are not opposed to a joint naval exercise or a US ship docking in the Indian port, but we cannot allow our strategic autonomy to be dictated by others,'' he added.

Besides Mr Advani, leaders of other NDA parties, including Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh, NDA Convener George Fernandes, Mr Anant Geete(Shiv Sena), Mr B K Tripathi and Mr Sharad Joshi were present at the former deputy prime minister's news conference. UNI