news details |
|
|
| Vajpayee warns against nuke agreement without debate | | |
NEW DELHI, JULY 6
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today warned the government against finalising the nuclear cooperation agreement with the US without explaining its position in Parliament.
In a statement here, he expressed apprehensions that a task force set up to review New Delhi's disarmament and security policies could be used to change the country's nuclear policy in order to bring it in conformity with a tough US law on the nuclear pact.
"The setting up of this task force at this juncture is nothing more than a thinly veiled move towards reversing our nuclear-related policies with a view to bringing them in conformity with many of the highly objectionable provisions of the Hyde Act; and then to pretend that the changes have been undertaken by us autonomously," Vajpayee said.
He insisted that Washington's confidence that the India-US nuclear deal would be concluded before the end of this year might also be linked to review of New Delhi's policies.
The BJP veteran maintained that various provisions of the Hyde Act were designed to stymie development of India's nuclear weapons capabilities.
"... The two, which will have the greatest adverse impact on our national security are those pertaining to the ban on nuclear tests by India and its 'working actively with the United States for the early conclusion' of a 'multilateral' fissile material cutoff treaty (FMCT)," he said.
The former prime minister noted that India was at present free to resume nuclear testing, which he said might become necessary in response to moves by other countries.
"The least that I expect this government to do is to explain its position on all these issues and set our doubts at rest," Vajpayee said.
He maintained that Parliament should discuss the issue thoroughly before any deal is finalised with the US.
"I shall also emphasise once again that no bilateral agreement with the US in this regard should be concluded unless Parliament has had a chance to discuss it thoroughly in order to ensure that it conforms to the assurances given to Parliament last year by the Prime Minister," he said.
Vajpayee warned that India would lose its option of conducting nuclear testing once the nuclear deal governed by the Hyde Act comes into effect.
He noted that India and Pakistan and all other nuclear weapons states have long maintained a voluntary moratorium on such testing.
"It not only makes the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation contingent upon India not testing but also envisages that the US insist on the right of return of nuclear materials and equipment given to India.
"To add insult to the injury, the Hyde Act requires that in the event the US terminates nuclear transfers to India, it will 'seek to prevent' such transfers to India from all other sources also," he said.
Operationalisation of the nuclear deal, he added, would therefore clearly require a change of policy on nuclear testing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
