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Centre pursuing nuclear deal under U.S. pressure: Natwar

K.V. Prasad

BHARATPUR: The former External Affairs Minister, K. Natwar Singh, on Thursday derided the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, accusing the Manmohan Singh government of acting under pressure from the Bush administration.

Mr. Natwar Singh, who joined the Bahujan Samaj Party earlier this month, told a BSP rally that Congress president Sonia Gandhi opposed the deal in July 2005 but changed her opinion under “pressure from Washington.”

“There is no advantage from this deal [for India]. Currently we meet 3.5 per cent of our energy requirement from nuclear power which would go up to 7 per cent in 2020,” he said.

Though he favoured good relations with the U.S., Mr. Singh said he did not agree with the policies of U.S. President George Bush, especially on Iraq.

Much was happening in the sub-continent particularly Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka but New Delhi was obsessed with the nuclear deal, he charged.

Blaming the Centre for the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said it had deteriorated so much that after three decades Pakistan was talking of taking the issue to the U.N. Security Council.

“This government will be held responsible if Pakistani jehadis infiltrate J&K and create problems,” Mr. Singh said.

He praised the manner in which the Narendra Modi solved the Ahmedabad blasts case. “I have differences with him, but he took action (against terror).”

On the domestic front, he said, despite having a reputed economist in Dr. Singh and the likes of Montek Singh Ahluwalia and P. Chidambaram, the government had failed to control food prices, which was affecting everyone.

While declaring he was not in the electoral fray, he said he would campaign in all 33 districts of Rajasthan next month and assist the BSP in the Assembly elections later this year.

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