No secret deal with US on CTBT: Jaswant

"My reply is the same as the one made two days back," Singh stressed adding "How can I come to Parliament and say something which is incorrect."

Raising the issue during zero hour, the members said there was a lot of confusion regarding the government stand on the issue which had created "suspicions"about its intentions.

K Natwar Singh, Congress, sought a clarification from the Minister on his remarks on CTBT in the light of Albright’s testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 24.

Singh, who rushed to the House following persistent demand by Opposition members for the Minister’s presence, said he could not be held to account for what has happened in the US senate.

Singh reiterated that India would engage in negotiations on the fissile material cut-off treaty under the conference on disarmament in Geneva for an early, verifiable and comprehensive treaty.

Asserting that India’s record on export control was impeccable, Singh went a step ahead to say it was even better than some of the traditional five nuclear weapon states (P-5).

New Delhi was ready to hold discussions on issues relating to technology and weapons of mass destruction with any country, he said.

Making it clear that India would determine its own minimum nuclear deterrence "and not what others tells us", he said this was not a "fixity or physicality" and had to be determined with altering security environment.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram, TMC, contended that there was "dilution" of government’s stand which was reflected in Prime Minister’s statement in Parliament from the one he made at the UN general assembly last September.

"This government is making a secret deal without Parliament’s knowledge," Chidambaram said demanding that government share with the House the gist of the negotiations Singh has had with US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott since the Pokharan nuclear tests in May last year.

Former prime minister I K Gujral accused the Centre of not taking the House into confidence on the issue and said, "The end result was a lot of confusion" raising "suspicion about its intention". Gujral wanted a full debate on the issue.

Somnath Chatterjee, CPI-M, said the "country is being taken for a ride" by the government on the CTBT issue.

Prof P J Kurien, Congress, demanded a clear-cut response from the government while Subramanian Swamy, Janata Party, accused the government of "misleading" the House.

Swamy wanted to know whether New Delhi had given any assurance to Washington that it would sign CTBT soon after the Budget session.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav maintained that the government had made up its mind to sign the CTBT while Rupchand Pal, CPI-M, asked whether India had accepted US condition of lifting economic sanctions in return for adherence to CTBT.

Defending the government, Madhukar Sirpotdar of Shiv Sena said that the members should have faith in what is stated by Singh on the floor of the House rather than believing what is said outside the country.

Buta Singh, Independent, said government was proceeding ahead on the issue without taking Parliament into confidence.

Congress warning

Congress on Friday cautioned the government against signing the CTBT without taking the country into confidence and said it should reserve the right to pull out of the treaty if its interests are not safeguarded.

Chairman of the AICC Foreign Affairs Department K Natwar Singh told reporters that the government should not take a decision on the issue without arriving at a national consensus and should take all political parties and Parliament into confidence.

"A government which is on daily wages’ should not take such a step without taking the country into confidence," Singh said. He also said India should have the option to pull out of the CTBT if national interests are not safeguarded.

Stating that at present national consensus did not exist for signing the treaty, the former union minister said since CTBT is about non-proliferation, there should be a clear cut linkage between non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament.