Advani questions PM's nuclear deal remarks

KOCHI: Accusing the Congress-led UPA government of compromising national security through the "flawed" Indo-US nuclear deal, senior BJP leader L K Advani on Sunday asked the Prime Minister to clarify if all the previous governments had "missed the bus" by not signing the NPT. Reacting to the Prime Minister's recent statement that India cannot afford to "miss the bus" of nuclear renaissance this time, Advani asked: "Why all previous governments, including the Congress, had not signed the NPT. Was it wrong?" The BJP feels that the present agreement imposed curbs on India's strategic options. During the past 60 years, irrespective of which party came to power, they were all opposed to the Non-Proliferation regime. Now, by signing this agreement, India has been made part of the regime, he said. BJP was opposed to the agreement purely upon national interest, he said adding the party felt that the curbs could come due to the provisions of 123 agreement, which says "national provisions will apply". The US has many laws, including the Hyde Act and all their laws will apply to India also, he said at a press meet here. "The government should enact a law which can counter all negative provisions of Hyde act and Atomic Energy Act of the US so that the country's autonomy and independence in strategic progress and foreign policy was scrupulously protected," he said.