The Hindu : National : Manmohan calls on Vajpayee

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Thursday, Nov 15, 2007
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National

Manmohan calls on Vajpayee

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: A day before the start of the winter session of Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday evening called on the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to enquire about his health. Mr. Vajpayee has been ailing for some time. He did not attend the party’s national executive committee meeting in Bhopal in September.

The 20-minute meeting was officially described as a courtesy call. However, BJP sources said the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, L.K. Advani, was also present and the nuclear deal was discussed.

A BJP leader later clarified that the party had already made its stand on the deal clear: it is opposed to the deal in its present form but is not against closer and strategic ties with the U.S.. The BJP’s main concern relates to further testing of nuclear weapons. The party is of the view that under the Hyde Act India’s option to test a nuclear weapon would be closed.

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