New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday dismissed
reports suggesting that India would be signing an amended NPT
to ensure a de jure nuclear power status for itself.
"The answer is absolutely no. There is no question of
accepting it. The Indian stand has not changed due to your
reference to a published report," Party spokesperson Abhishek
Singhvi told reporters when asked about a newspaper report
suggesting that the country is moving towards signing an
amended NPT in order to become a de jure nuclear state.
Singhvi said India is already a de facto and de jure
nuclear power.
"Historically the Indo-US nuclear agreement made us a
de jure and a de facto nuclear power without signing the CTBT
and the NPT," he said when asked whether the country is
considering signing the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) after
any amendment into it.
He also rejected media reports, which indicated that
the country was considering a foreign policy change by signing
an amended NPT.
Replying to a question on another subject, Singhvi
said Congress party justified the arrest of TRS leader
K Chandrasekhar Rao in Hyderabad, who had launched a fast unto
death on the issue of separate Telangana.
"If this (going for fast unto death) is legally a
suicide, how can we allow it. No solution will emerge from
such an extreme step. Our stand is clear that no decision can
be taken on the issue (of a separate statehood) as long as
there is no consensus," Singhvi said.
-PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 02, 2009, 00:46