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Sinha: NDA reserves the right to conduct nuclear test

We will re-negotiate deal if elected to power

Government compromising sovereignty, he says
Centre “mismanaging” internal security, economy

HYDERABAD: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), if returned to power, would not hesitate to conduct nuclear test again if the need arose, senior party leader and former External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, said here on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference, he maintained that the moratorium on tests declared by the Vajpayee government was only voluntary and the NDA “reserves the right to go for nuclear tests.” He reiterated that the NDA would “certainly re-negotiate” the India-U.S. nuclear deal.

The country was “not getting anything out of the deal,” he claimed. On the issue of assured fuel supply for lifetime of reactors, the U.S. stand was that it was only a “political commitment” and not a legal obligation. On sharing of sensitive technology and the right to re-process spent fuel, the U.S. had said that it would not provide the technology but prevent others also from giving it.

Charging the United Progressive Alliance government with compromising the country’s sovereignty, he said that it did not have the mandate to tie down India to a 40-50 year obligation. He alleged that the deal was passed in a hurry because of the “commissions involved.”

Mr. Sinha accused the Centre of mismanaging the internal security and economy. Finding fault with the decision of Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Mushirul Hasan to provide legal aid to two students suspected to be involved in the Delhi blasts and the support extended to him by Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh, he said both deserved to be arrested.

Referring to the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s threat of invoking Article 356 against the Orissa government, the BJP leader advised him to first impose President’s rule in his own Ministry.

He said the government steps to curb inflation would only slow down the economy rather than contain inflation. The off-budget liabilities of the past one year were Rs.2.5 lakh crore. The government would leave unpaid bills of lakhs of crore of rupees for the next regime.

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