World | India
Samajwadi Party backs India government on US nuclear deal
A key regional party in India said on Saturday that a controversial nuclear energy deal with the United States was in the interest of the nation, easing concerns the pact could trigger early elections.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:14 July 5, 2008
New Delhi: A key regional party in India said on Saturday that a controversial nuclear energy deal with the United States was in the interest of the nation, easing concerns the pact could trigger early elections.
Support from the Samajwadi Party (SP) is likely to help the Congress Party-led government secure a parliamentary majority if communist parties carry out their threat to withdraw support in protest at the nuclear deal.
"We will not vote against the government, even if the communists and other parties do," Amar Singh, the SP general secretary, said.
"The deal is in the interest of the nation, we should have come out in support of the deal a year ago," he added.
Need of support
The SP has 39 seats in parliament, compared with 59 for the communist parties. The Congress-led ruling coalition needs the support of 44 lawmakers to reach a majority. It would try to win the other five seats from smaller parties.
The left parties strongly object to the nuclear deal, saying the nuclear pact will make India a pawn of Washington.
The pact will give India access to US nuclear fuel and technology, and is potentially worth billions of dollars to US and European nuclear supplier companies. It will also give India more energy alternatives to drive its development, shifting trade and diplomatic ties towards the West.
The SP has a history of pragmatic alliances with national parties, but it said that they had buried years of bitter relations and described the Congress party as a "secular force".
"In politics, parties switch sides often, but we never sided with communal forces," Singh said. "The Congress is definitely a secular force and we have always stood by and will stand for secular forces."
Singh said SP leaders met former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, seen as the father of India's missile programme, this week and they were satisfied with his views the deal could benefit India.
"Abdul Kalam told us that India has a shortage of uranium and India does not need to test anything now, I think what Kalam said is correct," Singh said.
With time fast running out, the government needs to seek approval for the deal from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the next international move needed to make the agreement operational.
Not a favour
"It is not a Hindu or a Muslim deal. It is in the national interest. We are not doing a favour to the prime minister or Congress chief Sonia Gandhi by supporting the deal," Singh said.
The SP is facing a revolt within the party from some of its Muslim members, who are opposed to the nuclear deal.
The SP leader reiterated that he did not want the Bharatiya Janata Party and prominent members like L.K. Advani to take advantage of the political crisis over the nuclear deal.
"Advani is more lethal than Bush. The threat of Bush will come to an end as his term is about to end but the threat of Advani is likely to come after the general elections scheduled for 2009," Singh maintained.
Inflation issues
However, Singh said his party would continue to oppose the Congress and the government on issues like price rise and inflation.
"When we met the prime minister, we discussed these issues. We are against his policies," he said.
Although the SP's support to the government is almost a foregone conclusion in the wake of the Left withdrawal, Singh claimed that there had been no "formal talks" on this so far.
News Editor's choice
-
Allies quit ruling coalition in Nepal
Political row could trigger months of street protests and violence
-
Qatar blaze 'started at nursery'
Fire killed 19 including 13 children, at Doha’s main shopping centre
-
Jagan jailed over illegal assets
Andhra Pradesh leader accused of corruption, cheating, conspiracy
