Wednesday, August 3 2005 14:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Voicing apprehension that the Indo-US nuclear agreement would stunt India's nuclear weapons programme, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi today (Aug 3, 2005) disputed the Government's claim that the country was recognized by the US as a nuclear weapons state.

The agreement will stunt our nuclear weapons programme as a result of the government agreeing to separate the country's civil and defence nuclear programme. There was little transparency in the deal and the government must explain to the people how India is going to benefit from it, Joshi told a press conference.

He also refuted the Manmohan Singh Government's claim that the US had recognized India as a nuclear weapons state and said the agreement acknowledged the country only as an advanced nuclear technology state+ and that it had in no way added to the country's stature.

Describing the pact as a poor bargain, the BJP leader said the restrictions that would have followed our signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) have been automatically imposed on us without signing it (the agreement).

Joshi claimed several US newspapers had said following the agreement India had consented to place orders worth five billion US$ for purchase of conventional weapons from American defence manufacturers.

The agreement is aimed at benefiting the US defence industry. The Government must explain to the people what the US would do for us and what are the economic and strategic benefits that could be derived from such an agreement, he said.