This writer too earlier expressed the view that a person like Brajesh Mishra is the one who should come up with the correct view on the Indo-US deal as he was much privy when the deal was initially being worked out when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. Since they have laid the very foundation of this deal and the present UPA government had only pushed it through, there was no logic in the BJP or any other members of the then NDA criticizing the deal.

All the precautions had been taken by the Dr. Manmohan Singh government before signing the deal in Washington. Many of the Indian nuclear scientists had responded positively to the deal and particularly the views of Dr. Kasturi Rangan, former Chairman Atomic Energy Commission was quite positive. Yet, both the Leftists as well as the hulla brigade of the BJP/NDA stalling the parliament over this issue and opposing the UPA government in going ahead with the deal was nothing but only sheer political

expediency in toppling the current dispensation. They all know pretty well that a turn back from the deal would put India in a much embarrassing situation, in fact - a severe loss of face as Brajesh Mishra has now put it through his interview with Karan Thapar of the CNN-IBN weekly programme- Devil’s Advocate.

I feel Mr. Karan Thapar should now invite L.K. Advani, the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP to express his clear view over the latest opinion of Brajesh Mishra. Incidentally, L.K. Advani, through one of his interviews to a Malayalam Television channel had indicated that he won’t mind a nuke test, if voted to power.

The nation suffered very dearly to the 2nd Pokharan conducted by the NDA in 1998 which opened up a nuclear high-way in this part of South Asia where Pakistan is now laden with nuclear powered missiles to hit any part of India. There is no need of another test for India and even in 1998 too there was no such need.

Sheer jingoism in N-weapon only creates unnecessary tension and Advani perhaps want to enter into such a jingoism, looking ahead of the forthcoming general election. One hopes the people of India would see through such dangerous game plans and won’t allow the situation to vitiate further.

R K Kutty, Bhopal