BJP slams PM on N-deal, plans privilege motion

ON THE OFFENSIVE: Yashwant Sinha demanded that the UPA Government quit immediately.

          

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New Delhi: A day after a secret letter from the United States of America's State Department revealed how it plans to terminate the Indo-US nuclear deal if India conducts a nuclear test, the BJP has slammed the UPA Government for 'misleading' the country.

BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has asked for a Parliament session to be called immediately to move breach of privilege motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for "misleading" the two Houses on the nuclear deal.

“BJP demands that there should be a session of Parliament within the shortest possible time. Call a session after giving a notice of one week so that we are enabled to move a breach of privilege notice against the Prime Minister and his government,” Sinha said while addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday.

Sinha also demanded that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government quit immediately on the nuclear deal issue.

“We demand that this government has no business to continue in office and that they should leave immediately. If they do so then there is no need of a Parliament session but if they don't do so then a parliament session should be immediately called for because this is a very, very serious issue. This is no ordinary communication. This is a communication from the responsible official of the Bush administration to the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. We cannot ignore the US Congress in any matter. It will be a fatal mistake on our part to ignore the views and the opinion of the US congress because ultimately what will prevail is the view of the Congress and not the view of the administration,” he said.

The BJP also charged Manmohan Singh of misleading the nation and for not presenting all the details of the nuclear deal before the nation.

“This document says the 123 Agreement is rooted in the Hyde Act. It derives itself from the Hyde Act and it is in complete conformity with the Hyde Act. So Hyde Act is not only relevant but it is binding on the 123 Agreement. If it is binding on the 123 Agreement then it is binding on us. India cannot escape the rigours of the Hyde Act,” Sinha explained.

The BJP leader, who held the portfolios of the Finance Ministry and the External Affaisr Ministry in the National Democratic Alliance Government, also said, “This letter was written nine months ago to Tom Lantos who was the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. In February he died and then Howard Berman become the Chairperson. Some months back Bush administration has asked the US Congress not to make public any correspondence between India and US related to the nuclear deal.”