New Delhi, September 1
For the second time in two weeks, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has publicly backed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the controversial Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
Gandhi’s unequivocal support is significant as the UPA government in general and the Prime Minister in particular have been severely criticised over the nuke deal by the Left parties and the opposition. In fact, this resulted in a serious confrontation between the Marxists and the ruling combine and, at one point, even threatened the very survival of the government.
In a signed letter to party workers in the latest issue of Congress Sandesh, the party’s mouthpiece, Sonia has congratulated the Prime Minister and his team of able negotiators for hammering a treaty that satisfies all conditions laid out before Parliament and is in the long-term interest of the country.
The Congress president had spoken along the same lines two weeks ago when she addressed the meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party.
Describing the 123 agreement as historic, Gandhi said it would lift the decade-old embargo against nuclear trade with India. She endorsed Prime Minister’s views on the deal, saying that it “will allow the country to expand its energy sector to meet the growing demands of our economic growth and put an end to the power shortage that we are all familiar with.”
The Congress president’s comments have provided a timely cue to the party as the nuke deal is to be debated in Parliament on September 10 and 11.
Sonia also took an indirect dig at all those opposing the deal, pointing out that Parliament, UPA allies, the Left parties and the opposition were kept informed throughout the negotiations with the US.
“We have negotiated with America keeping our national interests in the forefront and India’s nuclear defence programme has been in no way undermined.”
Noting that the agreement will help the country expand power generation for its agricultural sector and the growing industrial sector, she said the deal was a recognition of the achievements of India’s scientists who have worked diligently to keep the indigenous nuclear programme alive. She also took potshots at the BJP for its frequent disruptions over the deal in Parliament. “We hope the opposition will use Parliament to air their differences and we will see less unnecessary House adjournments that waste precious time,” she added.
