New Delhi: In the wake of recent G-8
decision of not permitting enrichment and reprocessing items
(ENR) to non-NPT countries, BJP today sought an assurance from
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that India would not sign the
NPT and also not allow the country's Thorium programme to be
killed.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, senior BJP leader
Murli Manohar Joshi today reminded him that he had assured the
Lok Sabha about India having a clean waiver and that full
nuclear co-operation will result from the 123 agreement with
the US.
However, Joshi said there were certain apprehensions on
the issue as two countries, namely, France and Russia, which
were prepared to enter into nuclear commerce with India, were
members of the G-8 as well as Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
NSG is committed to control transfer of enrichment and
reprocessing items and technology to non-NPT countries.
"The G-8 members include both France and Russia, the
countries which have the enrichment and reprocessing
technologies and they are also members of the NSG. Once they
support the G-8, how can they oppose the same in the plenary
of the NSG?" Joshi asked.
"Adoption of the G-8 text prevents India to procure ENR
items both from France and Russia," he said.
Joshi claimed the 123 Agreement with US does not permit
transfer of sensitive nuclear technology, heavy water
production technology and production facilities, sensitive
nuclear facilities and major components of such facilities
unless the agreement is amended.
The BJP leader maintained that agreement of a future
amendment to 123 was "merely intended to help the Indian
government save face in public".
"The government has brought shame of the worst kind by
keeping mum on this and concealing it from Parliament," he
said.
Joshi said that former Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice had committed to a House Committee on Foreign Affairs that
US would make its "highest priority" to prohibit the export of
ENR items to states that are not party to NPT, and added,
"There is a strong possibility of denial of ENR technologies
to India."
He expressed the fear that India may become a dumping
ground for huge nuclear waste.
Joshi said the other worry was that with limited
commercial reprocessing plants to extract plutonium, more Fast
Breeder Reactors cannot be built. "This will seriously impinge
upon our future development of thorium reactors," he said.
"Please assure the country that India would not sign NPT
and would not allow Thorium programme to be killed," Joshi
said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, July 31, 2009, 00:05