New Delhi: The civilian nuclear deal with USA would “eliminate” India’s nuclear capability and the UPA Government must not get trapped in the “quicksand”, the BJP said in Parliament on Tuesday.
The Act, which was signed by US President George W Bush on Monday, proved America’s policy was to "halt, rollback and eliminate" India's nuclear capability, said BJP leader Arun Shourie during a debate on the agreement.
The deal was a "quicksand" and a "strategic flaw" based on the perception that India had to import 35,000 MW of nuclear energy because it didn’t have enough uranium.
"This is a myth that we do not have enough uranium. Rather, India has 78,000 tonnes of known preserves of uranium," he said. Uranium shortage was a "temporary aberration" caused by delay in acquiring tribal land.
Shourie alleged that four reactors were to be put under safeguards earlier, but the new deal had raised the number to 14. "All the five nuclear weapon states together have 237 reactors, but only 11 of them are under safeguards."
The US strategy was to finally place all Indian reactors under safeguards. "This is the game," he said.
Shourie wanted the Government to step up nuclear mining and ask the Department of Atomic Energy to increase research in breeder, instead of "mortgaging our security".
Sahid Siddiqui of Samajwadi Party, which supports the Congress-led coalition, said that the Act should be scrutinised by Parliament.
"Bring this Act in the House. Parliament will see if it is accordance with the Prime Minister's commitment," he said.
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