Apprehensions within the UPA of having to pay a political price in the form of a Muslim backlash for getting closer to the US manifested itself with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Monday registering its protest against the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.
Expressing displeasure over the Centre?s handling of the deal, the IUML, an UPA constituent, said that comprehensive consultations with allies and supporters prior to the pact could have averted the prevailing crisis. ??The text of the agreement was revealed only days after the pact was signed. The government should acknowledge that there are serious concerns regarding the deal,?? IUML president GM Banatwalla told newsmen in Chennai.
IUML objections were essentially meant to placate its Muslim votebase was evident when Banatwala also expressed?apprehension? over India?s ?growing relations? with the US and Israel and contended that the strategic military proximity with America would affect New Delhi?s independent foreign policy and commitment to the non-alignment movement. However, UPA managers point out that the IUML representative, E Ahamad, being minister of state for external affairs, was party to the Cabinet decision to endorse the nuclear deal.
The IUML protests, however, are symptomatic of the underlying apprehensions within some of the constituents of the UPA as well as sections of the Congress. Partners like the RJD, LJP and even some of the southern parties have a signficant muslim support.
