Sushma Swaraj said that it was wrong to assume that the central government created a hype around the NSG issue, the media reported. “We have been taught to make serious efforts to achieve things”. “We are now discussing when India would become a member of the NSG, not whether India could ever enter the export control regime”, she said.
Advertisement
In Seoul, China had refused to consider India’s application to join the NSG unless it signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which New Delhi considers discriminatory. “Consultations on the issue of membership are ongoing within the NSG”, she added.
Amid thumping of desks by BJP members, Swaraj said: “One major benefit of NSG membership will be India’s ability to participate in decision making for the NSG”. “If someone says “no” once, it does not mean he won’t agree at all … like GST… nearly all parties have agreed to it but the Congress. We are engaging with China”, she said.
Sushma cited the instance of the opposition Congress not allowing the BJP government to get the Goods and Services Tax Bill passed by Parliament. “We haven’t stopped. Doesn’t mean they won’t agree, if they didn’t once”, the minister said while refuting the opposition’s accusation that India mishandled its bid for membership of the group that controls access to sensitive nuclear technology.
Swaraj also scoffed at suggestions by NCP’s Supriya Sule that the denial of NSG membership to India was a “huge diplomatic snub” as it came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mexico and Switzerland.
“Membership of the NSG would create a predictable environment for the large investments required for setting up nuclear power plants in India, inter alia, to meet India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution pledge of 40 per cent of its power capacity coming from non-fossil sources by 2030”, Sushma Swaraj added. “Membership is like being in the room.being part of rule making”, she added.
“Waiver is like being allowed in the verandah. These attempts should not be called a hype”, Swaraj said.
Advertisement
“I will give the credit for the waiver to the previous government and when they got the waiver in 2008, we gave some commitments like separation of civilian and strategic [nuclear] programmes and acceptance of the IAEA safeguards”.
