The just-concluded Indo-US end-user monitoring defence agreement on Tuesday created heat in the Lok Sabha with Opposition parties demanding an immediate statement on the pact, which they charged compromised the country's security and sovereignty.
With almost the entire Opposition attacking the government on the agreement reached during the current visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced that the government would make a statement before the House rises for the day.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, former External Affairs Minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said the agreement was a matter of grave concern, as it would give the US right to physically inspect equipment sold by it to India.
"The US will have the right to visit Indian military bases to verify if the equipment, meant for both civilian and military use, were being used for the purpose for which it was sold," he said, adding the government had succumbed to the US pressure.
He was supported by Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Mulayam Singh Yadav(SP), Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Lalu Prasad (RJD), Bhartuhari Mahtab (BJD), M Thambidurai (AIADMK) and Nageshwara Rao (TDP).
Amid cries of 'shame, shame' from Opposition benches, Sinha asked the government to lay the text of the agreement on the table of the House and if it has not ratified the pact so far, it should refrain from doing so.
"This is a matter of grave concern. It seems that the government has succumbed to US pressure. Why should the US be allowed to inspect the equipment sold to us by visiting our military bases? We do not have such agreements with other countries including Russia and France," he asked.
The pact, Sinha said, also puts the onus on India to create firewalls between civilian and military uses so that the equipment was not put to dual use.
He wondered why India was bowing to US diktats when in reality Washington needed New Delhi more, given the fact that they are desirous of selling to India fighter jets worth 10.5 billion dollars.
Associating with Sinha on the issue, Basudeb Acharia said it was against the interest of the country, while Gurudas Dasgupta dubbed it as a Himalayan blunder.
Mulayam Singh Yadav said not just the House, but the whole country was concerned over what was happening."When country is self-dependent and defence equipment can be developed here by our scientists, why should we accept equipment from others?" Yadav posed.
