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National

End the suspense: Jaswant

Gargi Parsai

“Government treating deal as a private affair between the UPA and the Left”

123 Agreement will hit India: Yechury
U.S. wants India to be in South Asia what Israel is to it in West Asia: Raja

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh on Wednesday urged the United Progressive Alliance to “call the Left parties’ bluff” on withdrawing support to the government on the India-U.S. nuclear deal.

Initiating a short duration discussion on foreign policy developments based on an earlier suo motu statement by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Mr. Singh charged the government with treating the nuclear deal as a “private affair” between the UPA and the Left parties.

“This is an issue of national importance. It has dragged on for too long. The nation is confused about what you intend to do. If you are going ahead despite the protestations and the pretence of protestations, then say so. If not, then we should know. Please end the suspense.”

Referring to the Left parties, he asked the government to call their bluff. “After all what will happen? They will withdraw, you will continue as a minority government,” Mr. Singh said adding that between the Hyde Act and the 123 Agreement lay a “huge chasm of fundamental difference.”

While criticising what he called the “patronising tone of China” towards India on its stand on the Tibet issue, Mr. Singh cautioned against the neighbour’s alleged attempt to divert Brahmaputra waters for construction of a 40,000-MW dam to the detriment of Arunachal Pradesh and the river basin.

Reiterating that the 123 Agreement was anchored in the Hyde Act, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said it would affect India. He warned the government against becoming part of a regional set-up under the United States through the naval cooperation between India, U.S., Australia, Japan and Singapore. “This is a dangerous development.”

In a lighter vein, Mr. Yechury said the Left parties “pull” the government on the nuclear deal, but would not it “pull down” because then the National Democratic Alliance would try to come to power and would be willing to negotiate the deal on half the conditions.

He said the lack of reference to Iran was a “glaring omission” in Mukherjee’s statement.

D. Raja (CPI) said the U.S. had a “grand design” for Asia and was trying to drag India into its strategy. “The U.S. wants India to be in South Asia what Israel is to it in West Asia. India has to play a proactive role to thwart U.S.’s designs in the region.”

Congress member Rashid Alvi questioned the policy of “speaking up for Palestine” in the United Nations but “not voting” for its rights.

Brij Bhushan Tiwari (Samajwadi Party) said the foreign policy statement lacked “direction and firmness.”

V. Maitreyan (AIADMK) sought re-negotiation of the Kachatheevu agreement with Sri Lanka on the rights of fishermen. He asked how the House could be “kept in the dark” on the developments on the nuclear deal when it was in session.

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