Replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the nuclear deal, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee reiterated that India’s foreign policy remained independent. He asserted that India would be bound only by the 123 Agreement and not by the Hyde Act, which has certain “prescriptive and extraneous” elements.

On the right to test — a point raised by the BJP — Mukherjee said: “If we feel the test is necessary, we will do it. In the 123 Agreement, it has not been banned.” He pointed out that if such a step is taken by New Delhi, “consequences will also follow” as in 1974 and 1998. At the same time, he noted that India was not in for “massive” weaponisation and favoured comprehensive universal disarmament.

Mukherjee said a judgement on the deal should be passed only after it is fructified. “If it fructifies..., then you will find who is correct, who is not correct,” he said.

Replying to the Opposition charge that the PM was not taking Parliament into confidence, Mukherjee said Singh was not running away from the House. “Discussion does not mean dictation,” he said. He asked the BJP not to change its policy simply because it had changed seats (in Parliament) after going out of power. “Please give it a try. Our intention is to try all sources of energy,” he said.

Seeking to allay fears of those opposed to the deal, Mukherjee said: “Don’t doubt us. It is not that whatever we do has to be looked with suspicion.”

On concerns that nuclear power would be expensive, he said, “It appears too costly today, it won’t be so tomorrow.”

Responding to BJP questions on the Left-UPA mechanism on the deal, he said it was meant to iron out differences. “It does not mean that there shall be a parliamentary committee to look into differences,” he said.

Contending that India had voted against Iran at the IAEA to prevent its nuclear issue from going to the UN Security Council, Mukherjee said the stand-off could not be resolved through “threats” or by “hurting” Tehran’s “national pride.” The Government, he said, was ready to take a sense of Parliament on the deal after completion of the process of implementing the agreement. “We have never said we will not take the sense of the House, let the process (of operationalisation of the agreement) be completed. We have begun the process and it is not complete yet,” he said.

Not satisfied with the over hour-long reply, the Left parties joined the BJP and UNPA in staging a walkout, insisting that the sense of the House be taken. An agitated Mukherjee said “there is no reason, they have no case.”

CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, who initiated the debate, said: “I am not fully convinced. My opposition to the deal continues. The majority in the House does not agree with the deal.” Leader of Opposition Jaswant Singh questioned the “hurry” with which the Government was proceeding to implement the deal.