The Hindu : National : Come clean on nuclear deal: BJP

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Friday, Oct 19, 2007
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Come clean on nuclear deal: BJP

Special Correspondent

The people must be taken into confidence
Questions over Pranab’s recent visit to Russia

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday charged the United Progressive Alliance government with creating “confusion and chaos” on the India-United States nuclear deal by suggesting one day that the deal was put on hold and another day that it was still very much alive.

Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad demanded that the Centre come clean on what exactly was happening and take the people into confidence.

Mr. Prasad was referring to Prime Minister Manmohan’s statement on October 12 during the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit that one could live with the disappointment if the deal were not to go through, and more recent news reports that the deal was not in the deep freezer and the Prime Minister would continue his efforts to build a consensus on the issue with the Left parties in the hope there would be an agreement.

Separately, another party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar commented on a news report that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee failed to meet his counterpart in Russia during his recent visit.

“The Ministry of External Affairs should clarify. Is it that the Russians are angry with India? Was it also true that he was searched by security agencies at Moscow airport?”

Reacting to this, chairman of the Congress media Committee Veerappa Moily flatly denied that the Minister was subjected to frisking.

He also said that the Russian Foreign Minister was otherwise engaged and had a busy schedule when Mr. Mukherjee was visiting.

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