ID :
13402
Tue, 07/22/2008 - 20:11
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/13402
The shortlink copeid
Chidambaram targets BJP, Left for coming together againt govt
New Delhi, July 22 (PTI) Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday put up a strong defence of the Indo-US nuclear deal and tore into the National Democratic Alliance (N.D.A.) and Left parties, saying there can be "nothing more bizarre" than two disparate groups coming together to vote against theconfidence motion.
Opening the U.P.A. attack on the second day of the debate on confidence motion moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said the country is charting a "new path" for endingits nuclear isolation and making India an economic superpower.
"I ask the House to give a resounding vote of confidence to the Prime Minister," he said amid thumping of desks by the treasury benches in a speech that was repeatedly interrupted by the Left parties, especially theCommunist Party of India - Marxist (C.P.I.(M.).
Amid cheers from the ruling side members, Chidambaram took barbs at the N.D.A. and Left parties for coming together to vote against the government despite having diversepositions on the nuclear deal.
"The Bharatiya Janata Party (B.J.P.) and N.D.A. seem to believe that nuclear isolation should end but no one is clear about the Left parties. Yet the two groups are votingtogether.
"The N.D.A. has no problem with the strategic relationship with the US. The Left parties have ideologicalopposition to it. Yet the two groups are voting together.
"The N.D.A. believes in India becoming a nuclear weapon state. The Left parties have always opposed nuclearweaponisation. Yet the two parties are together.
"The N.D..A says if it comes to power, it will renegotiate the nuclear deal. The Left says it will everything to scuttle the agreement for ever. Yet they are votingtogether.
"I don't think in the history of Parliament there is anything more bizarre than two disparate groups votingtogether," the Finance Minister said in his spirited speech.
Attacking the N.D.A. for opposing the deal, Chidambaram cited Vajpayee government's efforts to forge a strategic partnership with the US and said the U.P.A. government wasonly taking that dialogue forward.
"The question is do we want to come out of nuclearisolation," he asked the B.J.P. benches.
On B.J.P.'s contention that the nuclear deal will restrain India from conducting any further tests, he referred to the speech by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the UN after the 1998 nuclear tests when he announced a voluntary moratorium on tests which amounted to de jure acceptance of provisions of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty(C.T.B.T.).
Vajpayee, he said, had even offered to have discussionson the signing of the C.T.B.T.
The former Prime Minister had also, in a speech in Parliament in 1999, had said the country did not need to conduct any further tests as scientists did not feel the requirement. The voluntary moratorium also did not not restrain India from conducting future tests, the ministersaid.
Chidambaram, a member of the now defunct U.P.A.-Left committee on the nuclear deal, also allayed apprehensions that the Hyde Act of the US will bind India with regard to itsstrategic programme and autonomy.
"The Hyde Act cannot be invoked. The Hyde Act cannot bind India. The 123 agreement alone will delineate the rights and responsibilities of the two parties.... Under the Viennaconvention, we are only bound by the 123 Agreement," he said.
He said the Hyde Act was a matter of domestic law of the US and the American President has powers to override itsprovisions.
Chidambaram said India was not concerned about the internal processes in the US like their Atomic Energy Act as it had no relation to the 123 Agreement. "The 123 Agreementnearly fleshes out the Hyde Act," he said.
Rejecting opposition to 123 Agreement with the US, Chidambaram said India has negotiated such pacts with not only America but also Russia and France but these cannot be operationalised till the I.A.E.A. and Nuclear Suppliers Groupgive their nod.
Dismissing Left charges of betrayal, he said the government has taken all steps in the implementation of theIndo-US nuclear deal in the "most transparent manner".
On the controversy over making public the text of safeguards agreement with I.A.E.A., he said the draft was unveiled, as promised, the moment India gave a nod for itscirculation among the I.A.E.A. Board of Governors.
In an apparent dig at the Left, Chidambaram cited China's nuclear programme since 1970 and gave statistics to show how the giant neighbour was making rapid economicprogress.
When C.P.I.(M.) member Rupchand Pal interjected that India should not be compared with China, the Finance Minister took a swipe, saying "there are some people in the country who do not want India to grow beyond and above China and do not want India to become a superpower." "I have no hesitation in saying that I do not envy China but I want to emulate China.... I want India to become an economic superpower," he said, adding "we must aspire for greater heights.... We must emulate the best in the world." Emphasising that India should be compared with a big country like China, he said the neighbour was planning multi-fold increase its nuclear power production capacity fromthe present two percent level.
China was intending to raise its nuclear power production to 50,000 MW by 2020 and then to 1,60,000 MW by 2030, he said, adding Beijing was having cooperation withcountries like France, Canada and Russia in this endeavour.
He said the communist giant at present has 11 nuclear reactors, six were under construction and several more areplanned.
Winding up his speech, Chidambaram said the "future is in our hands. We can make our future, if we have vision and farsightedness." Recalling the ushering in of reforms during the days of late Rajiv Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao, he said the present government is starting a "new path which will end the nuclear isolation and make India stronger."
Opening the U.P.A. attack on the second day of the debate on confidence motion moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said the country is charting a "new path" for endingits nuclear isolation and making India an economic superpower.
"I ask the House to give a resounding vote of confidence to the Prime Minister," he said amid thumping of desks by the treasury benches in a speech that was repeatedly interrupted by the Left parties, especially theCommunist Party of India - Marxist (C.P.I.(M.).
Amid cheers from the ruling side members, Chidambaram took barbs at the N.D.A. and Left parties for coming together to vote against the government despite having diversepositions on the nuclear deal.
"The Bharatiya Janata Party (B.J.P.) and N.D.A. seem to believe that nuclear isolation should end but no one is clear about the Left parties. Yet the two groups are votingtogether.
"The N.D.A. has no problem with the strategic relationship with the US. The Left parties have ideologicalopposition to it. Yet the two groups are voting together.
"The N.D.A. believes in India becoming a nuclear weapon state. The Left parties have always opposed nuclearweaponisation. Yet the two parties are together.
"The N.D..A says if it comes to power, it will renegotiate the nuclear deal. The Left says it will everything to scuttle the agreement for ever. Yet they are votingtogether.
"I don't think in the history of Parliament there is anything more bizarre than two disparate groups votingtogether," the Finance Minister said in his spirited speech.
Attacking the N.D.A. for opposing the deal, Chidambaram cited Vajpayee government's efforts to forge a strategic partnership with the US and said the U.P.A. government wasonly taking that dialogue forward.
"The question is do we want to come out of nuclearisolation," he asked the B.J.P. benches.
On B.J.P.'s contention that the nuclear deal will restrain India from conducting any further tests, he referred to the speech by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the UN after the 1998 nuclear tests when he announced a voluntary moratorium on tests which amounted to de jure acceptance of provisions of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty(C.T.B.T.).
Vajpayee, he said, had even offered to have discussionson the signing of the C.T.B.T.
The former Prime Minister had also, in a speech in Parliament in 1999, had said the country did not need to conduct any further tests as scientists did not feel the requirement. The voluntary moratorium also did not not restrain India from conducting future tests, the ministersaid.
Chidambaram, a member of the now defunct U.P.A.-Left committee on the nuclear deal, also allayed apprehensions that the Hyde Act of the US will bind India with regard to itsstrategic programme and autonomy.
"The Hyde Act cannot be invoked. The Hyde Act cannot bind India. The 123 agreement alone will delineate the rights and responsibilities of the two parties.... Under the Viennaconvention, we are only bound by the 123 Agreement," he said.
He said the Hyde Act was a matter of domestic law of the US and the American President has powers to override itsprovisions.
Chidambaram said India was not concerned about the internal processes in the US like their Atomic Energy Act as it had no relation to the 123 Agreement. "The 123 Agreementnearly fleshes out the Hyde Act," he said.
Rejecting opposition to 123 Agreement with the US, Chidambaram said India has negotiated such pacts with not only America but also Russia and France but these cannot be operationalised till the I.A.E.A. and Nuclear Suppliers Groupgive their nod.
Dismissing Left charges of betrayal, he said the government has taken all steps in the implementation of theIndo-US nuclear deal in the "most transparent manner".
On the controversy over making public the text of safeguards agreement with I.A.E.A., he said the draft was unveiled, as promised, the moment India gave a nod for itscirculation among the I.A.E.A. Board of Governors.
In an apparent dig at the Left, Chidambaram cited China's nuclear programme since 1970 and gave statistics to show how the giant neighbour was making rapid economicprogress.
When C.P.I.(M.) member Rupchand Pal interjected that India should not be compared with China, the Finance Minister took a swipe, saying "there are some people in the country who do not want India to grow beyond and above China and do not want India to become a superpower." "I have no hesitation in saying that I do not envy China but I want to emulate China.... I want India to become an economic superpower," he said, adding "we must aspire for greater heights.... We must emulate the best in the world." Emphasising that India should be compared with a big country like China, he said the neighbour was planning multi-fold increase its nuclear power production capacity fromthe present two percent level.
China was intending to raise its nuclear power production to 50,000 MW by 2020 and then to 1,60,000 MW by 2030, he said, adding Beijing was having cooperation withcountries like France, Canada and Russia in this endeavour.
He said the communist giant at present has 11 nuclear reactors, six were under construction and several more areplanned.
Winding up his speech, Chidambaram said the "future is in our hands. We can make our future, if we have vision and farsightedness." Recalling the ushering in of reforms during the days of late Rajiv Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao, he said the present government is starting a "new path which will end the nuclear isolation and make India stronger."
