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Jaswant calls for renegotiation of N-deal
Senior BJP leader seeks revision of the N-deal to ensure that India's "strategic autonomy" should be maintained under all circumstances.
Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh has sought renegotiation and revision of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal to ensure that the country's "strategic autonomy," especially in defence sector, is maintained under all circumstances.
"We cannot have decision making authority concerning India's security being arrogated to itself by any other power," he told a press conference in New York on Friday.
Replying to a question, Singh, former External Affairs Minister, said his party stands for strategic relations with the United States in all fields but "strategic partnership is not strategic subservient."
He also rejected the suggestion that the stand of BJP and Left parties, which are also opposing the deal, is similar. "Our approaches are fundamentally apart. The Communists are persuaded by foundational anti-Americanism. But we have no such ailment."
"We want strategic relationship with the United States" but also wanted to ensure that it would not affect India's autonomy to take its own decisions, he said, while calling for renegotiation and revision of the nuclear deal.
The major problem with the deal is that it was announced in hurry and both Indian and US governments "made the mistake" of not taking lawmakers into confidence, he said, adding that all issues could have been sorted if that had been done.
After the announcement, US President George W Bush said "this is part of strategic partnership, (Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice said it is about non-proliferation and our Prime Minister said it is energy deal. (We want to know) what exactly it is," he said.
