India's communist parties, key allies of the federal ruling coalition, said the proposed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with the U.S. is not acceptable and asked the government not to proceed with it.
“There has to be a review of the strategic aspects of the India-U.S. relations in parliament,'' the four left parties said in a statement after a meeting in New Delhi today.
The communists, whose support is crucial for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition government to retain its parliamentary majority, are unhappy about the nuclear accord, which seeks India gain access to U.S. technology and equipment for its power plants.
Indian parliament will debate the issue at the monsoon session that starts on August 10. The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party described the deal as an “assault'' on the country's nuclear sovereignty.
The communist parties said the draft of the so-called 123 agreement that gives effect to bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and India on nuclear energy fell “well short'' of full civilian nuclear cooperation.
The accord, a key element in U.S. President George W. Bush's foreign policy, was held up by differences over whether India would get a perennial supply of nuclear fuel, be allowed to reprocess spent fuel and have the right to conduct nuclear tests. Both sides released the text on August 3 following agreement on the term of the bilateral accord.
Each side will need to give the other one year's notice for termination, giving rights to the U.S. to recall fuels and technologies supplied to India, according to the text of the accord.
