PM betrayed people,misled Parliament on 123 agreement : JD(U)

Patna, Sep 4 (UNI) JD(U) leader Harikishore Singh today demanded a probe into whether the UPA government deliberately with held information from the country and Parliament on the proposed Indo-US nuclear deal restricting India from conducting nuclear tests.

The former union minister of state for external affairs, also the chairman of JD(U)'s foreign affairs department, said in a release here that the matter should be probed by a Joint Parliamentary Committee(JPC).

''It should be exposed whether the US government deliberately misled its Indian counterpart. Or is the UPA government itself guilty of deliberately hiding the information,'' Mr Singh said.

He said in case the Union government was proved guilty, it amounts to 'clear cut betrayal' of the people and a serious breach of privilege of Parliament as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made a statement on the issue on the floor of the House.

Mr Singh said the deliberately leaked letter of President George Bush to the late Congressman, who was chairman of the House of Representative, Foreign Relations Committee, clearly states that any testing of nuclear weapon at any time in future shall automatically terminate the 123 agreement and stop all these facilities provided, including supply of critical heavy water.

Referring to the stand of the previous NDA government on the nuclear test, he said it had declared on its own moratorium on further tests which, however, did not bound future governments.

''But to be dictated by the US administration in this context is an entirely different thing. It is not only against our national security and interests but undermines the nation's honour and dignity.

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