09-05-2008, 01:42 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>PM on shaky wicket as never before </b>
Pioneer.com
Navin Upadhyay | New Delhi
Nearly five years in office, and half of it in the thick of the dubious India-US nuclear agreement, saw many occasions when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was accused of playing into American hands. But never<b> before did his position look so untenable as now, when he battles vociferous demands for his resignation for misleading the nation, compromising its strategic interests and concealing the cost the country would have to pay for fulfilling his personal agenda on the nuclear deal with the US.</b>
During all these months of suspicion over the way the UPA Government carried out its nuclear engagement with the US, both the PMO and Congress waged a relentless war to influence public opinion. But this time round, the evidence of compromising the country's long-term strategic interests is so insurmountable that there would be few takers for the argument being advanced by the likes of Kapil Sibal and Anil Kakodkar.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee sounded equally hollow and unconvincing when he tried to assure that India would not accept any condition violating the spirit of the PM's assurance to Parliament. "There is no room for speculation," he told All India Radio, adding that the Government would have to wait for the outcome. "We cannot go beyond our commitment to Parliament, the commitment made by the Prime Minister and the commitment made by ourselves. Therefore, whatever we have committed, it will have to be achieved within that," he said.
It was the same Mukherjee who had told the nation that India would not approach the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) without Manmohan Singh winning the confidence vote in Parliament. How that assurance was violated is still fresh in the mind of the nation.
Similarly, Sibal and Kakodkar -- and the Prime Minister himself -- had on umpteen occasions told the nation that India would not agree to anything but "unconditional and clean waver". But the US State Department's reply to the Congress makes mockery of such claims and raises questions about the motive behind such misleading assurances.
But still, Sibal went on to say that New Delhi has the right to conduct nuclear tests.
<b>"The Prime Minister has said we are not going to diminish or dilute our sovereign right to nuclear tests," he </b>said. "The 123 Agreement does not in any way diminish India's sovereign right to test." Adopting a similarly brazen posture, AEC chairman Anil Kakodkar said the US disclosures on the nuclear deal did not take away anything India wanted and there was "adequate protection" for its strategic programme in the civil nuclear deal with Washington.
But the Opposition was less than amused by such exercise in semantics. Both the Right and Left camps sought the PM's resignation and demanded early convening of Parliament to discuss the nuclear deal in light of the fresh revelations.
<b>The Opposition accused the PM of turning the nation's foreign policy into a cloak-and-dagger game where Indians learn about the decision that would dominate their future and security of the country from US newspapers and websites.</b> They also accused him of deliberately deferring the monsoon session of Parliament to avoid any discussion on the deal.
Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said the BJP would move a privilege motion against the Government and would not like to wait till October 17 when the Parliament is due to meet again. "The State Department disclosures have confirmed our worst fears... India cannot escape the rigours of the Hyde Act... It is now crystal clear that India will lose the right to conduct nuclear tests forever as a result of this agreement," Sinha said.
He claimed that the revelations in the US Administration's letter to the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee left no doubt that this deal did not contain any binding commitments by Americans and other regarding fuel supplies and on transfer of technology.
"The information given by the Indian Government and the American Administration is diametrically opposite to each other," Sinha claimed, adding that the UPA Government had been propagating falsehood on the issue. "It is gross breach of privilege of Parliament. The BJP demands that a session of Parliament be convened in the shortest possible time so that we cam move a breach of privilege motion against the Prime Minister," Sinha said.
Seeking to make a point-by-point rebuttal of the Prime Minister's statements in Parliament, senior BJP leader Arun Shourie said the Bush Administration has been maintaining that it would not transfer enrichment and reprocessing technologies while the UPA Government has been claiming that the cooperation would be "full", including such transfers.
Unleashing a similar attack, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat demanded a fresh session for moving a no-confidence motion against the Government. The party also accused the Government of "cheating" and "lying" over the deal. Even the Samajwadi Party, the new UPA ally, said it was in a "dilemma" over the disclosures, with its leader Mulayam Singh Yadav appearing to seek clarifications.
<b>"The Manmohan Singh Government has no business to continue in office and should leave immediately," Sinha told a Press conference. Backing Sinha, Karat said, "The only option left to them (the UPA) is that the Prime Minister should quit. But neither will they convene a Parliament session, nor will they quit... It is a shameless Government."</b>
<b>At the other end of the political spectrum, Mulayam Singh Yadav Said, "It (the disclosure) has some truth but (External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee) gave a different statement. So I am also in a dilemma. But I will study the news reports and decide whether the media or Pranab Mukherjee is correct."</b>
Kakodkar said India knew about the letter written by the US State
Department in January to Tom Lantos, the then Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, but was caught unawares by its release. "But now they have released the document.... A quick read tells me that it actually doesn't take away anything from whatever we have been saying here in India before," he said.
Asked about the right to conduct nuclear tests, he said, "In terms of consequence, of course, when we decide to do that, we need to factor in the possible consequences."
--See Opinion: - PM stands diminished
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In this forum we were saying, Shame of India, Moron Singh is lying to Indian Citizens. Where are those who were supporting Moron SIngh on n-deal?
Pioneer.com
Navin Upadhyay | New Delhi
Nearly five years in office, and half of it in the thick of the dubious India-US nuclear agreement, saw many occasions when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was accused of playing into American hands. But never<b> before did his position look so untenable as now, when he battles vociferous demands for his resignation for misleading the nation, compromising its strategic interests and concealing the cost the country would have to pay for fulfilling his personal agenda on the nuclear deal with the US.</b>
During all these months of suspicion over the way the UPA Government carried out its nuclear engagement with the US, both the PMO and Congress waged a relentless war to influence public opinion. But this time round, the evidence of compromising the country's long-term strategic interests is so insurmountable that there would be few takers for the argument being advanced by the likes of Kapil Sibal and Anil Kakodkar.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee sounded equally hollow and unconvincing when he tried to assure that India would not accept any condition violating the spirit of the PM's assurance to Parliament. "There is no room for speculation," he told All India Radio, adding that the Government would have to wait for the outcome. "We cannot go beyond our commitment to Parliament, the commitment made by the Prime Minister and the commitment made by ourselves. Therefore, whatever we have committed, it will have to be achieved within that," he said.
It was the same Mukherjee who had told the nation that India would not approach the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) without Manmohan Singh winning the confidence vote in Parliament. How that assurance was violated is still fresh in the mind of the nation.
Similarly, Sibal and Kakodkar -- and the Prime Minister himself -- had on umpteen occasions told the nation that India would not agree to anything but "unconditional and clean waver". But the US State Department's reply to the Congress makes mockery of such claims and raises questions about the motive behind such misleading assurances.
But still, Sibal went on to say that New Delhi has the right to conduct nuclear tests.
<b>"The Prime Minister has said we are not going to diminish or dilute our sovereign right to nuclear tests," he </b>said. "The 123 Agreement does not in any way diminish India's sovereign right to test." Adopting a similarly brazen posture, AEC chairman Anil Kakodkar said the US disclosures on the nuclear deal did not take away anything India wanted and there was "adequate protection" for its strategic programme in the civil nuclear deal with Washington.
But the Opposition was less than amused by such exercise in semantics. Both the Right and Left camps sought the PM's resignation and demanded early convening of Parliament to discuss the nuclear deal in light of the fresh revelations.
<b>The Opposition accused the PM of turning the nation's foreign policy into a cloak-and-dagger game where Indians learn about the decision that would dominate their future and security of the country from US newspapers and websites.</b> They also accused him of deliberately deferring the monsoon session of Parliament to avoid any discussion on the deal.
Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said the BJP would move a privilege motion against the Government and would not like to wait till October 17 when the Parliament is due to meet again. "The State Department disclosures have confirmed our worst fears... India cannot escape the rigours of the Hyde Act... It is now crystal clear that India will lose the right to conduct nuclear tests forever as a result of this agreement," Sinha said.
He claimed that the revelations in the US Administration's letter to the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee left no doubt that this deal did not contain any binding commitments by Americans and other regarding fuel supplies and on transfer of technology.
"The information given by the Indian Government and the American Administration is diametrically opposite to each other," Sinha claimed, adding that the UPA Government had been propagating falsehood on the issue. "It is gross breach of privilege of Parliament. The BJP demands that a session of Parliament be convened in the shortest possible time so that we cam move a breach of privilege motion against the Prime Minister," Sinha said.
Seeking to make a point-by-point rebuttal of the Prime Minister's statements in Parliament, senior BJP leader Arun Shourie said the Bush Administration has been maintaining that it would not transfer enrichment and reprocessing technologies while the UPA Government has been claiming that the cooperation would be "full", including such transfers.
Unleashing a similar attack, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat demanded a fresh session for moving a no-confidence motion against the Government. The party also accused the Government of "cheating" and "lying" over the deal. Even the Samajwadi Party, the new UPA ally, said it was in a "dilemma" over the disclosures, with its leader Mulayam Singh Yadav appearing to seek clarifications.
<b>"The Manmohan Singh Government has no business to continue in office and should leave immediately," Sinha told a Press conference. Backing Sinha, Karat said, "The only option left to them (the UPA) is that the Prime Minister should quit. But neither will they convene a Parliament session, nor will they quit... It is a shameless Government."</b>
<b>At the other end of the political spectrum, Mulayam Singh Yadav Said, "It (the disclosure) has some truth but (External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee) gave a different statement. So I am also in a dilemma. But I will study the news reports and decide whether the media or Pranab Mukherjee is correct."</b>
Kakodkar said India knew about the letter written by the US State
Department in January to Tom Lantos, the then Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, but was caught unawares by its release. "But now they have released the document.... A quick read tells me that it actually doesn't take away anything from whatever we have been saying here in India before," he said.
Asked about the right to conduct nuclear tests, he said, "In terms of consequence, of course, when we decide to do that, we need to factor in the possible consequences."
--See Opinion: - PM stands diminished
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
In this forum we were saying, Shame of India, Moron Singh is lying to Indian Citizens. Where are those who were supporting Moron SIngh on n-deal?