Unsure how the serious differences within the ruling alliance over the nuclear deal will play out, the BJP is trying to score some brownie points for itself. The party said the uncertainty—particularly the delay in the Prime Minister’s statement on the deal in Parliament—is causing turbulence in the stock market. It also suspects that a “heavy dose of Muslim appeasement” will follow.

“This delay has created uncertainty in the country. The Sensex has plummeted. There is uncertainty in economic and other fields. He should make the statement as soon as possible,” senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra said.

The BJP, which is trying to balance its pro-America approach and its publicly stated opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal, feels the party is losing relevance in the tussle between the Left and the UPA. The party, which had earlier stated that the nuke deal was not a domestic affair to be settled between the Congress and Left, on Friday demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh disclose to Parliament how his Government would address concerns raised by the Left. “The PM should take Parliament and the nation into confidence about his talks with the Left,” Malhotra said.

Malhotra maintained that his party would vociferously raise its objections in Parliament over what it sees as a possible impact the nuclear deal would have on India’s strategic options. He said the Opposition would be satisfied only if Singh renegotiates the pact with the US in the light of the objections raised over the India-specific Hyde Act.

... contd.