Karnataka - Bangalore

Rudy: N-deal not acceptable in its present form

Bangalore: Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP spokesman, has said that the Indo-U.S. nuclear agreement, in its present form, is “completely unacceptable.”

Addressing presspersons here on Friday, he said: “The BJP is not against strategic relations with the U.S. But we are completely opposed to the confinement of our nuclear strategic programme in perpetuity. It is a ploy and deceit perpetrated on the nation in the garb of meeting its energy needs.”

Speaking at a seminar under the aegis of the BJP Yuva Morcha later, Mr. Rudy said with “China’s warheads pointed towards India”, with Pakistan having nuclear capability, and the growing political uncertainty in Bangladesh and Nepal, India needed to have a strong nuclear position and could not surrender the right to have a “third Pokhran”.

He said the UPA Government had “cheated the nation” by going to the IAEA board without the support of the Left and without the mandate of Parliament. “There is a concerted effort to mislead the nation.”

Even the Planning Commission stated that nuclear energy would only meet five per cent of the energy needs of the country. The rest would be met through coal and oil.

It was “suspicious” that the U.S. had not set up a single nuclear power plant in 30 years. “Does this then mean that most of its technology is obsolete and that it has exhausted the world market? Is India a market for them?” he asked.

On price rise, Mr. Rudy said the 11.9 per cent inflation rate had hit the common man hard.

The Prime Minister and his “illustrious team” of economists had not been able to check the inflation, which had reached a 13-year high, he added.

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