SAD to vote against UPA govt

"In principal, it has been decided by the party that it will vote against the UPA government in Parliament, but a final decision will be taken during a meeting of Political Affairs Committee (PAC) on July 15, when Sukhbir Singh Badal (SAD president) returns from abroad," senior Akali leader and Punjab minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh told reporters here.     

Stating that his party supports nuclear power, he said, "although we are in favour of nuclear energy, but as far as proposed Indo-US nuclear treaty is concerned, there are still doubts about it.     

"No national debate was held on the issue, nor the draft of the treaty was presented in Parliament and not more than ten per cent of the total population what the agreement is. In such a situation, how can anybody just support it blindly," he said, alleging that the UPA government had kept political parties in the dark on the issue.     

"We cannot put sovereignty of the country at stake and sign the treaty, just to please the US," he added.     

During the confidence motion, extraordinary rise in the rate of inflation, agriculture crisis and hike in oil prices were issues on which SAD would definitely oppose the UPA government, he said.