Amidst a walkout by Left parties, Government on Thursday asserted in Lok Sabha that it had the sovereign right to conduct a nuclear test, making it clear that the bilateral agreement with the US does not put any restraint on it.
“There is nothing in the bilateral agreement that the government has entered with the US that will tie the hands of a future government to undertake a nuclear test,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a brief statement after Left and the Opposition members raked up the issue.
The members were protesting against the statement of the US State Department spokesman who had said all nuclear cooperation with India would be terminated if New Delhi carries out a test.
The Minister said “India has the sovereign right to test and would do so if it is necessary in national interest. The only restraint is our voluntary unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing, declared by the previous (NDA) government and being continued by the successor government.
“There is nothing in the bilateral agreement that would tie the hands of a future government or legally constrain its options. A decision to undertake a future nuclear test would be India’s sovereign decision, resting solely with the Government of India.”
Mukherjee said nowhere in the bilateral agreement on cooperation for peaceful uses of nuclear energy with the US “is testing mentioned”.
He said the agreement contained elaborate provisions in Articles 5 and 14 to ensure the continuous operation of India’s reactors. These include fuel supply assurances, the right to take corrective measures and a strategic fuel reserve for the lifetime of India’s reactors in case of cessation of cooperation.