Govt conceded more than NPT to become NSG member: CPI(M)

The CPI(M) today said it suspected that the Narendra Modi government has conceded "more than" the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) without signing it to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in an "exceptional manner".
The party also targeted the government on the joint statement issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Washington, saying the document was a declaration that cemented India's role as a "junior partner" of the US in its global strategic designs.
"We are being told that a special exception is being made for India (to become NSG member). But if you were to look between the lines, what has this Modi Government agreed to in the trilateral Indo-Japan-US agreement on nuclear energy ... I think and I suspect very strongly that this government has agreed to more than the NPT in that trilateral agreement," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.

"Unless that is done, I cannot see or the world cannot see how India can be made an exception to (become a member of) the NSG," he said. India is not a signatory to the NPT.
Expressing concern over the civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries, he demanded cancellation of the purchase of "costly" nuclear reactors from US firm Westinghouse to be set up at Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh.
"It is being done only as a quid pro quo for the nuclear deal with the United States. The cost of the AP1000 reactors are going to be prohibitive, just as the French Areva reactors to be set up at Jaitapur.

"By a conservative estimate it is going to cost Rs 2.8 lakh crore for the six reactors. The cost of power produced from these reactors is going to be unsustainable," he said, contending that India cannot afford to provide "super profits" to US corporates at the expense of welfare of Indian people.

Yechury also alleged that the Westinghouse deal was also being worked out by "circumventing the Nuclear Liability law of India by nullifying the suppliers liability. The insurance risk and liability are to be borne by the Indian public through the nationalised insurance companies."
(Reopens DEL45)
On the Indio-US joint statement terming India as US' "major defence partner" in America's defence technology transfer and a "priority partner" in Asia-Pacific, Yechury said New Delhi "very clearly" has committed itself to Washington's strategy of "containing China" which was not in India's interest.

"We have always maintained good relations with neighbours, talked about Look East Policy. Now to all these countries, we are seen as US proxy in the region. So, this is the effort by Prime Minister Modi and this government to replace Pakistan as the US surrogate in South Asia," he said.
The Marxist leader termed the move as "extremely dangerous" and said it was "a very big departure" from India's long-standing foreign policy positions.
On the Logistic Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) which is the "new name" for the Logistic Support Agreement, he said it would allow each military to avail logistic support facilities - fuel, spare parts, mechanics etc - of the other while on joint training.

"This now commits India to provide logistic facilities such as re-fuelling of US air force on its adventures of military intervention in any part of the world," he said, adding that such a position "abandons both our independent foreign policy and our bilateral interests with the friendly countries in West Asia and the Gulf."
Among other issues, Yechury hit out at the government on its draft Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy, saying it reflected India accepting US objectives.
On two-year performance of the government, Yechury and Karat accused the government of pursuing neo-liberal economic policies even as the Sangh Parivar whipped up passion to polarise people on communal lines for political gains.

They accused the government of being authoritarian and undermining parliamentary democracy, citing the examples of imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh.
The CPI(M) leaders hit out at the government also over its "gaudy celebrations" with film actors, marking its two years even as water crisis gripped large swathes of the country and questioned "poor allocation" for MGNREGA in drought-hit areas.
Yechury demanded that the Government should convene an all-party meeting to discuss these and other issues like the GST Bill.