Howrah News Service -  Latest news and headlines on Howrah,West Bengal and World: PM hits back on nuclear deal

PM hits back on nuclear deal
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SPECIALCORRESPONDENT on 05 March, 2008 07:33:00
 
President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced Thursday an
unprecedented agreement that would provide U.S. nuclear power assistance to
India while allowing the country to substantially step up its nuclear weapons
production.Taking the opposition criticism head on, Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh on Wednesday hit back saying the massive farm loan waiver was a result of
NDA government's neglect of farmers and asserted it was not apologetic on
schemes for minorities.
In an unusually aggressive reply to Parliament on the President's address, he
also raised the pitch on the Indo-US nuclear deal saying Government will seek
the "broadest possible consensus" within the country to enable the next steps to
be taken.
While he was unsparing in his criticism of the BJP-led NDA government,
especially its Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on security and farm issues, the
Prime Minister showered praise on his predecessor Atal Behari Vajpayee whom he
described as "Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics".
Rejecting the opposition charge that the Rs.60,000 crore farm loan waiver in
the budget was announced with an eye on elections, he said it was a historic
initiative to meet the "unpaid distress bill" left behind by the NDA government.
He dismissed fears of a weakening of the banking system or contraction of the
credit flow due to the waiver.
Noting that the distress of the bold peasantry brought the UPA to office, Singh
said the debt relief "is our attempt to finally remove the burden of the NDA
period from our farmers' shoulders".
Cheered by his coalition MPs and repeatedly interrupted by the BJP members, the
Prime Minister attacked the previous government's record on internal security
and said sabre-rattling does not prevent terror. It requires efficient,
effective policing and intelligence gathering".
After the Prime Minister's reply, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adopted
the motion of thanks to President's address but not before the opposition stage
a walkout apparently upset over his stinging attack.
The Left parties also trooped out demanding immediate legislation on Women's
reservation in Parliament and assemblies.
He described as a "shameful sight" the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant
Singh "escorting dreaded terrorists to their freedom". Rubbishing opposition
charge that Congress-led UPA government was adopting an appeasement policy with
an eye on elections, Singh said he was not "apologetic" about empowering weaker
sections including minorities.
"When I talk about empowerment of minorities, I don't think I should be
apologetic about it," he said.
Marred by repeated disruptions from Opposition benches, the assertive Prime
Minister said development of all sections, including farmers, SCs, STs and
minorities, was necessary for their inclusive growth.
"For political and social stability, more empowerment of the marginalised
sections was needed," he said adding that he was not tendering any "apology" for
the inclusive growth process of development.
Admitting his government's "inability" to honour its commitment on the Women's
Reservation Bill, Singh said "time has come to make yet another effort to evolve
a broad-based consensus so that we can bring a bill as soon as possible".
Touching on the Indo-US nuclear deal, Singh said Government will seek the
"broadest possible consensus" within the country to enable the next steps to be
taken on it.
"We are at present engaged in negotiations with the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) for an India-specific safeguards agreement," he said.
"We also continue to seek the broadest possible consensus within the country to
enable the next steps to be taken. I believe that such operation is good for us,
for our energy security and for the world."
The Prime Minister also mentioned former US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe
Talbott's assertion that NDA government had agreed to settle for much less on
the nuclear issue, evoking vehement protests from BJP benches.
Singh also welcomed former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra's open
support for the deal. With a new democratically-elected government set to assume
office in Pakistan, he hoped the new leadership there will work with India in
putting the "past behind" for "enduring peace" and collective prosperity of the
two countries.
Singh said he saw a "ray of hope" as he noted that the leaders of main
political parties of Pakistan, in their first pronouncements after the
elections, had spoken of their interest in developing close relations and
working with India to bring about durable peace.
"India wants to live in peace with Pakistan. The destinies of our two nations
are interlinked," he said, adding "We need to put the past behind us. We need to
think about our collective destiny, our collective security, our collective
prosperity."
Addressing concerns voiced by many members on rising prices, the Prime Minister
said the government is committed to maintaining "reasonable" price stability at
4-5 per cent, but it will not be at the cost of farmers.
"We are committed to reasonable price stability but we will not be a party to
maintain so-called price stability by neglecting the prices that ought to be
paid to our farmers," Singh said.
Singh said the NDA government had maintained the "modicum of price stability"
by depressing farm prices coupled with low international crude oil and food
prices.
However, despite international crude oil prices rising from 36 dollars a barrel
in 2004, when the UPA came to power, to over 100 dollars a barrel, the
government raised diesel and petrol prices marginally and maintained kerosene
prices at the same level.
"We are committed to maintaining reasonable price stability despite an adverse
international environment," he said, adding that the government had raised farm
prices "handsomely" while not increasing the foodgrain prices for families
living below or above poverty line in the last four years.
Pointing out that prices of imported foodgrains and vegetable oils were
"sky-rocketing", he said the government would take effective steps to maintain
prices to safeguard the weaker sections.