Indian Opposition Parties Seek Vote on Nuclear Deal (Update1)

[Ian David]

Source: Bloomberg

By Bibhudatta Pradhan

Aug. 10 (Bloomberg) -- India's federal opposition grouping will seek a vote on the government's proposed civilian nuclear accord with the U.S. in the parliament session that began today, because it says the deal is bad for the South Asian nation.

While the result of the vote, if allowed by the speaker, won't have an impact on the government's survival, a loss would be an embarrassment for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's federal coalition, led by his Indian National Congress party.

``We want a discussion under Rule 184, which entails voting'' on the subject under debate, said M.A. Kharabela Swain, a lawmaker belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which leads the opposition group. ``We will oppose the deal and expose how the government mortgaged India's sovereignty.''

At stake is the government's reputation as a consensus builder and its contention that there is public support for the nuclear agreement, particularly as the ruling coalition's communist allies are also opposed to the agreement.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aedC4w56OaM4&refer=india

[David__77]

1. BJP would support this if they were in power.

They're just posturing to garner support of the public, which is against this sort of accord. The real opposition to the agreement is found within the ruling coalition itself.