Don’t need NSG berth: Yashwant

New Delhi, June 26

Asserting that there was no need for India to project a ‘desperate’ image to the world in an attempt to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today said that New Delhi would be nothing but a ‘loser’ if it joined the elite group.

Sinha asserted he strongly felt that India should not accept NSG membership, stating that we should be satisfied with just a waiver. “In June 2013, the NSG in its norms said that non-NPT states like India will not be allowed enrichment and re-processing technology and our deal with the US was that if India separately created industries for enrichment and re-processing technology, they will give us those two machineries. Then America, our good friend, changed stance and made the amendment that non-NPT nations must not be given those technologies. Then what are we going to get from the NSG,” Sinha asked.

The former Union Minister said there were certain persons within the Centre who had mislead the NDA regime before on this matter and were doing so again.

“I would forcefully like to say that we will be the loser if we join the NSG and that there is no profit for us. We will be happy outside the NSG,” Sinha stressed.

Accusing the Modi government of indulging in ‘public tamasha’, the Congress said this kind of hectic campaigning was not required for joining the elite NSG.

“It is an embarrassment for India to do what is not required. When there are no obstacles when it comes to nuclear trade with NSG countries, it was unnecessary. We do not know why India showed its desperation and allowed India to be equated with Pakistan on the issue of NSG membership,” Congress leader Anand Sharma said.

On Friday, China said the NSG would not discuss its membership bid into the elite group, adding that New Delhi would first have to sign the NPT, a major criteria set up by the NSG.

In Seoul, Director-General of the Arms Control Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Wang Qun, said India’s membership had ‘never ever’ been on the agenda and that there was no such agenda item for the two-day plenary. — ANI