New Delhi, July 23 (Inditop.com) The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has led the opposition in criticising the End Use Monitoring Agreement with the US for defence equipment purchases but has no alternative suggestions to offer.
“It is not our job to suggest a way out,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said here Thursday when asked to suggest any alternatives to the pact that will enable the US to inspect where and how the military hardware India would purchase from them is put to use.
Prasad maintained that the BJP is opposed to the arrangement because it compromises India’s sovereignty.
“The agreement is based on the presumption that India would do something wrong. India is not a rogue country. Why compromise the country’s sovereignty for some military hardware?” Prasad told IANS.
“When such agreements compromising the country’s sovereignty were not signed while purchasing military hardware from other countries like France, Russia or Israel, then why do it for the US?” he asked.
During Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit earlier this week, India and the US said in a joint statement that they had reached an “arrangement” on end-use monitoring for US defence exports.
The BJP and other opposition parties stalled parliament proceedings Tuesday, accusing the Manmohan Singh government of succumbing to US pressure.
A section of experts point out that India needs high-end equipment from the US and the inclusion of a clause on end-use of weapons systems is compulsory for all US foreign military sales.
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