PUNE, India, 15 March 2008 — Former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) M. Venkiah Naidu said here yesterday that the BJP was still opposed to the nuclear deal with the United States and that former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had endorsed the party stand.
Speaking to journalists here, Naidu said “There is absolutely no need for Vajpayee to respond to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s appeal on the nuke deal, as the party’s stand on the issue had been conveyed to him. We are not anti-US, but we will not support the deal in its present form,” Naidu said. The BJP leader was referring to the prime minister’s statement in Parliament recently that Vajpayee should listen to his conscience and let national interest prevail over narrow politics.
Lashing out at Manmohan Singh, Naidu said that there was no question of bailing out the helpless prime minister, who had made a laughing stock of himself among the international community. Why didn’t he consult the BJP before moving ahead? Naidu asked.
On the next general election, Naidu said his party had stared preparations for the poll as it expects it to be held in November this year or March next year. “We will contest the election highlighting such issues as agriculture, the plight of the common man, price rise, terrorism and the divisive politics of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The BJP will not support the implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations,” Naidu said.
