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Monday, Sep 10, 2007
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Law must to defend India’s interests: Rajnath Singh

Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh has said the country should have a law to defend its national interests in the matter of its sovereign right to conduct nuclear tests and reprocess spent fuels.

In an interview to the Organiser, mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Mr. Singh argues that since the Hyde Act in the nuclear agreement with the United States obliges the American President and administration to work with the Nuclear Suppliers Group “to restrict transfer of equipment and technology related to the enrichment of uranium, reprocessing of spent fuel and production of heavy water to India,” India should have a law to defend her national interests.

Atomic tests

He defines this national interest as a law that declares the country’s right to conduct atomic tests and reprocess spent fuel.

Mr. Singh stops short of saying that his party will not object to the deal if this were to be done.

Differs from Left

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani made a similar suggestion in Hyderabad in August last week. He said that unlike the Left, the BJP “was not against a strategic friendship with the United States… But, we cannot accept a situation where India’s nuclear weaponisation programme is curbed.”

Important agreement

While defending the demand for a joint parliamentary committee to look into the deal, he reiterates the party’s view that such an important bilateral agreement must be ratified by Parliament. If under the Constitution this ratification was not mandatory — as it is not — he would like the Constitution amended. Mr. Singh criticises the United Progressive Alliance-Left mechanism, as it was confined to the ruling coalition and supporting parties. A JPC is needed “to review the deal.”

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