Date:26/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/26/stories/2007082660501000.htm

National

Debate the deal: Sinha

Jamshedpur: There is a need to debate the nuclear deal with the United States as it will have a long-term impact on the country’s atomic programme, according to BJP vice-president Yashwant Sinha.

“I am not interested in the prevailing differences within the United Progressive Alliance but I am certainly concerned about the proposed deal, which, if implemented, will leave the country at the mercy of the United States for our future nuclear programmes,” the former External Affairs Minister said here on Saturday.

“The deal is not the issue of an individual party. It is a serious issue concerning the entire nation in view of the security concerns, and it needs to be debated.”

The country’s nuclear facilities would directly come under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency if the deal was operationalised.

India had made clear its peaceful intentions in the nuclear issue.

The sole objective of the deal was to stall the country’s nuclear programme and the U.S. deriving commercial benefit from it, he said. — PTI