Govt draws flak on nuke deal

NEW DELHI: Government was pilloried in the Lok Sabha on the Indo-US nuclear deal by the Left and the Right with the main opposition BJP-led NDA declaring that if it comes to power it would "renegotiate" the deal to delete 'adverse' provisions, failing which it would reject it.

Intervening in the much-awaited debate, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rejected opposition charges saying the deal does not take away India's right to conduct a nuclear test.
   
The CPI (M), outside supporter of the UPA government, dubbed the agreement as a "surrender" to Washington and warned the Congress, leading the coalition, that "it will not take it lying down".
    
Leader of the Opposition L K Advani was scathing in his criticism of the government alleging that the deal bars India's right to test, treats New Delhi as a "junior partner" and could lead to even American inspectors to oversee Indian reactors.
    
"123 agreement as it stands today is unacceptable," Advani said adding "no self-respecting country can agree to it."
    
Advani took the name of Indira Gandhi repeatedly as he sought to drive the point that the deal was not favourable for India.

"Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee would not have agreed to this kind of encroachment of sovereignty," he said.