Date:02/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/02/stories/2008030259940800.htm

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BJP dismisses Talbott’s claim on Vajpayee government

Neena Vyas

No basis for claim, says Brajesh Mishra

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party here on Saturday refuted the claim made by the former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe Talbott, that the Vajpayee government would have been ready to accept “half” of what the Bush administration has offered in the India-U.S. nuclear deal.

Brajesh Mishra, former Principal Secretary to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, preferred to dismiss this claim, adding: “I see no evidence for his claim.” Such claims should not be taken note of.

The former External Affairs Minister, Jaswant Singh, who had met Mr. Talbott over more than a dozen round of talks spread over two years was not available for comment.

But Yashwant Sinha, who succeeded Mr. Jaswant Singh as External Affairs Minister in the Vajpayee government, pointed out that Mr. Talbott was “no more the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State” during the last two years of the Vajpayee government and “no discussions” were held on the lines of the one held for the nuclear deal and the 123 Agreement.

He expressed surprise at Mr. Talbott’s claim, which was made during an interview with a television channel.

Mr. Talbott was reported as having said that if the Cinton administration, which was dealing with the Vajpayee government, would have been prepared to offer only “half” of what the Bush administration had offered the Manmohan Singh government, “the Indian side [the Vajpayee government] would have gone for it.”