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Thursday, Dec 06, 2007
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Pranab: we’ll take sense of House

Gargi Parsai

Left, Opposition walk out in Rajya Sabha

Pranab Mukherjee

NEW DELHI: The government said on Wednesday that it would take the sense of Parliament on the India-U.S. nuclear agreement after the process of implementing the deal was completed. It emphasised that the deal would not impact India’s right to conduct nuclear tests or its foreign policy.

“We have never said we won’t take the sense of the House. Let the process be completed. There are several steps to be taken for operationalising the deal including approaching the International Atomic Energy Agency for India-specific safeguards, going to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and approval by the U.S. Congress. Once the 123 Agreement is completed we will take the sense of the House,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Rajya Sabha replying to a marathon discussion on the deal.

“Most unfortunate”

Dissatisfied with the reply, the Left parties supporting the government joined the National Democratic Alliance and the United National Progressive Alliance in staging a walkout to assert that the sense of the House was against the agreement. “It is most unfortunate. They have no reason. They have no case. They’ve left … it is their will,” said an agitated Mr. Mukherjee.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury, who initiated the debate, said he was not convinced by the Minister’s reply. “In an honourable way we [the government] can tell the world that the majority is not with us,” he said.

Why hurry: Jaswant

Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh questioned the haste with which the government was proceeding on the deal.

“A very large part of the House is not with you. If you are seeking bipartisan support of the U.S. Congress, why not work for bipartisan support here,” he asked.

Earlier, Mr. Mukherjee said India believed in comprehensive universal disarmament and did not want to be a nuclear weapon power. “India needs a credible minimum nuclear deterrent from its security and threat perception. If a test is necessary from the geo-political situation, we’ll do it. The 123 Agreement does not ban or prevent it. We can do it as we did in 1974 and 1998 and consequences will follow.”

Emphasising that India’s foreign policy was independent, he reiterated that India would be bound only by the 123 Agreement and not the Hyde Act which had certain “prescriptive and extraneous” elements.

Changing situation

He argued that the global situation had changed because of climate change and the volatility of the international oil market. All this was leading to a situation when India would have to make optimal utilisation of all sources of energy, including nuclear.

Appealing to the House to “please let us give it a try,” he said that when India overcame nuclear sanction barriers, it would be like getting a passport. It would open the international market.

Pointing to the Left’s opposition, he said it had also opposed the Patents Law and the Dunkel Agreement. “They are consistent with their opposition but we are committed to the common minimum programme and we have not operationalised the deal.”

Iran issue

On Iran, he said India had voted against it at the International Atomic Energy Agency to prevent its nuclear issue from going to the United Nations Security Council. But India pleaded that the stand-off would not be resolved through “threats” and hurting Tehran’s national pride.

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