End-user pact is straight, in national interest: Krishna

New Delhi, July 21 (PTI) The Indian government Tuesday
rejected Opposition charges of compromising national security
and sovereignty by going in for the End-user Monitoring
Agreement for US defence purchases, declaring that "every
thing is very straight."

"Question of bartering of our freedom and sovereignty
does not arise. What was being done at the high-end defence
purchases is being done now. End-use clause was incorporated
earlier," External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told the Lok
Sabha, even as almost the entire Opposition, including the BJP
and the Left parties, walked out of the House in protest.

Leading the walk-out, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani
said the Opposition was dissatisfied with the suo-motu
statement, as it failed to address the concerns expressed by
members and the move would "send a wrong message" across the
country.

Departing from the convention of not giving
clarifications on statements in the Lok Sabha, Krishna said he
was surprised by the kind of interpretation being given by the
Opposition parties to the bilateral understanding and there
was "nothing extraordinary" in it. "We are conscious of what
we are doing," he added.

"We tried to generalise it (EUMA) for high-end purchases
with the US. Everything is very straight. We have done it in
the interest of the country," he said.

In his suo-motu statement on US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton's visit to India, Krishna said, "We have
agreed on the end-use monitoring arrangements that will
henceforth be referred to in letters of acceptance for Indian
procurement of US defence technology and equipment.

"This systematises ad hoc arrangements for individual
defence procurements from the USA entered into by previous
governments," he added, even as he tabled a copy of the
Indo-US joint statement made by him and Clinton yesterday.

Krishna said Clinton's visit has helped to "broaden and
deepen" the bilateral relationship and to set the terms of
future engagement with India and US.

He said India had also agreed on a new bilateral dialogue
architecture within which discussions will continue between
the two countries on a wide range of issues.

The minister said India and the US have concluded two
important agreements during the visit, one on creation of a
Science and Technology Endowment Board and another, a
Technical Safeguards Agreement, which will permit the launch
of civil or non-commercial satellites containing US components
on Indian space launch vehicles.

"During the visit, we held productive and constructive
discussion on global issues, situation in our region, and on
how to enhance our bilateral partnership," he added.

Soon after Krishna's statement, Advani expressed anguish
over the Minister not addressing the concerns of the House
with regard to EUMA.

Advani also called for amendments to the Constitution to
ensure important agreements signed by the country are brought
to Parliament for ratification, as is the practice in
countries like the US.

He said it was unimaginable that an outsider would
monitor the use of defence equipment bought by India.

Supporting Advani, his party colleague Sushma Swaraj said
besides the Opposition, the officials and CAG were opposed to
such agreements and called for scrapping EUMA.

"We are in favour of friendship with US, but not for
bullying by them," she added.

Former Foreign Minister and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha
wanted to know from Krishna whether US equipment purchased
from third party would also be subject to inspections under
EUMA.

"We have a right to know what has been agreed with a
foreign government. This statement is not worth the paper on
which it is written," Sinha added.

Calling EUMA as a surrender to the US, CPI-M leader
Basudeb Acharia said, "We did not want this statement. We
demand a clarification."

While CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta expressed fears that
the agreement would permit US to inspect India's defence
establishments, SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav asked if US was
India's master (Kya America hamara malik hai?).

Sharad Yadav (JD-U) accused the government of mortgaging
the country's sovereignty by signing EUMA and alleged that
this was a surrender just as the joint statement with Pakistan
in Egypt, which mentions Balochistan, thereby opening a
Pandora's Box.

M Thambidurai (AIADMK), opposing EUMA, said the US should
be friends and not dictate terms to India. "We should not
pledge our sovereignty," he said, asking the government to
withdraw from the agreement.

Bharatuhari Mahtab (BJD) said Krishna's statement hid
more than what it revealed, and failed to address the members'
concerns.

Earlier, raising the issue during Zero Hour, Yashwant
Sinha said the agreement was a matter of "grave concern", as
it would give the US right to physically inspect equipment
sold by it to India.

"The US will have the right to visit Indian military
bases to verify if the equipment, meant for both civilian and
military use, were being used for the purpose for which it was
sold," he said, charging that the government had succumbed to
the US pressure.

Amid cries of "shame, shame" from Opposition benches,
Sinha wanted the government to lay the EUMA text on the table
of the House and if the pact was not yet ratified, it should
not be done.

Giving in to Opposition demands, Leader of the House
Pranab Mukherjee had assured them that government would make a
statement on EUMA in the House later in the day. PTI CS
pmr
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