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Vajpayee has 'no right' to sign CTBT, says Deve Gowda

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition had no right to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty as it was a minority government.

In a letter to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, he cautioned not to succumb to the United States pressure, but take 'a courageous stand' by rejecting all treaties that would 'bend' India.

It was needless to say that the CTBT was nothing but an extension of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, devised by the five powerful countries to perpetuate their nuclear monopoly, he said.

All the past prime ministers had opposed it tooth and nail. It was unfortunate that even the US senate had not ratified the CTBT while 11 of the 44 countries did so, Deve Gowda added.

He said the BJP-led government should not sign the treaty unless the Parliament approved it.

The former prime minister also referred to Vajpayee's remarks that he would sign a no-war pact with Pakistan shortly - if that true then there was no need to sign the CTBT.

Replying to queries, Deve Gowda said individual party leaders could maintain their identity even while remaining in the ( third) front.

He reiterated that if the Congress is interested in replacing the BJP-led coalition, the front would extend support. However, he termed as hypothetical when asked whether the front would form an alternative government if the Congress offered support.

''I personally feel the Congress should form the government as the country's credibility had reached its nadir following the failure of the government on all fronts,'' he added.

He said if the BJP-led coalition government fell on its own due to internal contradictions, then the third front should be ready to face election.

No one could forget the constructive role played by the Communist parties in forming the United Front government led by the Janata Dal in 1996, he added.

UNI

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