By IANS
New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has acknowledged that while a majority of the speakers in parliament during the last debate on the Indo-US nuclear deal were opposed to its implementation, it was not a “view of the house” as claimed by the Left parties.
“Sense of the house was not sought,” Mukherjee told Karan Thapar’s “Devil’s Advocate” programme for CNN-IBN to be telecast Sunday night.
His assertion is in direct contrast to that of leaders of the Left allies of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), who have claimed that the debate reflected the “sense of the house”.
Mukherjee said that while majority of the members had opposed the deal, it was not the “sense of the house” as the issue was not framed as per parliamentary practice.
“I am not disagreeing that majority of members who participated expressed their views against government proceeding further… It was a discussion. And normally in such issues, the house does not express its view. It is talked out,” he said.
He also added that the prime minister had had said he would come before parliament once the “entire procedure was completed”. “As per the parliamentary procedure, there is a definitive way on which to ascertain the view of the parliamentarians, which was not done,” said Mukherjee.
He insisted that the defeat of the Congress in the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections did not weaken or strengthen the government’s position to push through the Indo-US nuclear deal.
On talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the external affairs minister said India had three major “concerns” – assured fuel supply, right to strategic reserves in case of interrupted supply and the independence of India’s strategic programme.
“These concerns are adequately reflected in the India-specific safeguards agreement (with the IAEA),” said Mukherjee, adding that he was “happy the way the negotiations are going on”.
He did not comment on whether it would be difficult for a Democrat president to be enthusiastic about the deal, pointing out that when the enabling legislation was passed in House and Senate, it had got bipartisan support.
To a query on the White House’s reaction on the delay in implementing the deal due to the opposition in India, Mukherjee said: “We are in discussion with each.”
“They understand our political difficulties and we theirs, therefore, everybody has to wait for the outcome of the negotiations (with the IAEA).”
Interestingly, while referring to the issues of India’s campaign to get a permanent membership in the UN Security Council, Mukherjee said that it was akin to “talking of catching the train that has not arrived at the platform”.
He accepted that if India failed to “implement or operationalise the deal, there would be “some adverse impact”, but not on India’s quest for a UN Security Council permanent seat.