No pressure on us over N-deal: Prime Minister

NI Wire

New Delhi

Wed, 05 Dec 2007: 

Dec 05: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh denied vehemently in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that government was working under U.S. pressure against signing a deal with Russia on the supply of four nuclear retors in Tamil Nadu.

The government came under fire from the major opposition party NDA with the Left and UNPA on the Indo-US nuclear deal with opposition members asking the government not to proceed with the agreement as it lacked majority support in parliament.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accused BJP leader Yashwant Sinha of levying “false charges” against him during a debate in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

The hot debate included exchange of words of fire between prime minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, when Mr Singh rejected the charges that India had come under US pressure for not signing an agreement on Koodankulam reactors with Russia during his recent visit. He said that the agreement could not be completed because the requisite approvals had not been obtained from the IAEA and NSG.

Although Mr Prime Minister admitted the opposition’s claim that the draft of agreement was ready. But he said that the agreement could not be signed unless and until India got approval from the IAEA for India-specific safeguards and necessary clearances from the NSG. He said Russia fully understands India’s position.

Prime Minister brought sarcastically remark upon Sinha, said perhaps he was reminding his own performance when, as a finance minister he was not able to meet his counterpart during his foreign visit. Stunned by his remark Mr Sinha said in reply that Prime Minister was getting personal.

All this false propaganda that is being made here and outside is not related to the facts of the case,” Prime Minister said. On another issue, he said there was no any pressure on India or on him to join or not join the Shanghai Cooperation Agreement Meeting. .

Mr Singh further said that, “ All that I was interested was that if the Indian Prime Minister goes to these meetings, he should not sit in the side lounge, coffee lounge and not be involved in an active manner.” Mr Singa alleged that India was under US pressure not to attend these meetings.

Mr Sinha said the party’s position that the deal would be renegotiated if the BJP came to power.

Asserting that the Hyde Act had the worst provisions of the US legislations, Sinha said the Prime Minister had told media persons in the USA that the government could move forward on the deal only on the basis of broad national consensus.

JD (U) leader Digvijay Singh said the government had no right to proceed with the agreement, which did not enjoy majority support in Parliament.