Following is the reaction of parties on the India-specific safeguards agreement being approved by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency:
Historic day for country, says Cong
The Congress party has hailed as 'historic' the IAEA's endorsement of the India-specific safeguards agreement and expressed confidence that India would succeed in obtaining the approval of Nuclear Suppliers Group in the run-up to the operationalisation of Indo-US nuclear deal.
"It is a welcome step. It is a historic day for the country. It is a success of our diplomacy and our political leadership, which successfully negotiated with the IAEA," party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told PTI.
An important day for India: PM
He said since 26 countries, which are members of the IAEA, are also members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, 'this will help us a lot'.
"We will be successful in arriving at an agreement with the NSG and also in remaining steps," he added.
It doesn't recognize India as N-state: Left
The Left parties say that the approval of the India-specific safeguards agreement does not recognise India's nuclear weapon status or protect its interests on issues like uninterrupted fuel supply assurances.
Explained: IAEA safeguards agreement
Pointing out that former American pointsman on the Indo-US nuclear deal Nicholas Burns had stated that the 123 agreement was 'absolutely consistent' with the Hyde Act, Left leaders said this clearly showed that their concerns were 'totally true'.
The Left parties, which withdrew support to the UPA government on the issue, would now 'go to the people to expose the government'.
"Burns had said that the Hyde Act will prevail but our government says the US law will have no impact. We have been opposing the deal because it is not in India's interest and that is why we withdrew support. There is no change in the Left position," CPI National Secretary D Raja told PTI.
Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said: "We are not getting the nuclear weapon status, either de facto or de jure. There are no assurances on uninterrupted fuel supply or recycling of fuel."An illegitimate step by govt: BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party has termed the approval of India-specific safeguards agreement by IAEA as an 'illegitimate step taken by the government shrouded by ambiguities' over nuclear sovereignty of the country.
"It is shrouded by the ambiguity of nuclear sovereignty of the country, which was not addressed by the government till date while highly placed officers in US have suggested that Hyde Act would prevail," party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said in New Delhi.
"The step taken is an illegitimate one and lacks the consensus and public opinion required for any such vital matter of national importance," he said.
The party also seized the remarks by former US under-secretary of state Nicholas Burns to argue that the deal did not allow India the right to conduct nuclear tests.
"Burns said on Thursday at a seminar in Brooklyn Institute, US, that the Hyde Act and the 123 Agreement are supplementary and complementary. He said that US can annul the agreement if India goes to explode the nuclear bomb again," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told media persons.
Prasad said this is an 'official confirmation' of the apprehension expressed by BJP in the past and accused the Indian government of misleading the country on the issue.
"External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee said in Parliament that the Hyde Act and 123 Agreement were different. The Indian prime minister has claimed that there is no cap on the right to test. We demand that the government react to Burns' statement," he said.
"Burns has been visiting India for the past three yearsto discuss this nuclear deal on behalf of the US. So, if he makes a comment, it is a very serious observation. He knew the entire 123 agreement, being the architect of the same. And his observation confirms BJP's apprehension that the deal in its present form compromises our nuclear deterrent capacity," he alleged.
"We blame the UPA government leaders for misleading the nation on the nuclear issue," Prasad said.
