India may review moratorium

NEW DELHI, May 28: The news from Chagai helped the BJP government deflect the debate over Pokharan II in the Lok Sabha today with Prime Mini...

NEW DELHI, May 28: The news from Chagai helped the BJP government deflect the debate over Pokharan II in the Lok Sabha today with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee saying that 8220;we should stay united in the new situation8221; and that India was prepared to meet any eventuality.

Vajpayee, who received a handwritten note on the development while in the Lok Sabha in the evening, hinted that there could be rethink on the voluntary moratorium on further nuclear tests but any clarity on this will only emerge tomorrow when he is slated to reply to the ongoing debate in the Lok Sabha.

Soon after the House adjourned for the day, Vajpayee held a meeting with some of his Cabinet colleagues, including Home Minister L K Advani, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, Defence Minister George Fernandes, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madanlal Khurana and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jaswant Singh.

The BJP is slated to hold a meeting with its allies later and Vajpayee has called a meeting with Opposition leaderstomorrow morning. The immediate feeling was that the country must stand united, implying that the opposition to Pokhran II in Parliament should chart a different course tomorrow.

The Congress too held an emergency CWC meeting at party president Sonia Gandhi8217;s house and released a two paragraph statement advocating caution at this 8220;critical juncture8221; and that the party stands 8220;with the nation8221;. The party also asked the government to deal with the 8220;emerging scenario with responsibility, maturity and restraint8221;.

In the Lok Sabha earlier, what was steadily progressing into an Opposition versus Government debate on Pokhran II, swiftly turned around into one of solidarity for the country8217;s sake as news of Pakistan8217;s nuclear tests practically shocked the House.

Ironically, it was an Opposition MP, Congressman Natwar Singh, who dropped the bombshell suddenly rising to interrupt Somnath Chatterjee and ask the treasury benches whether it was true that Pakistan had conducted two nuclear tests. It was 5.25pm and nothing would be the same after that.

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Vajpayee had only five minutes earlier received a handwritten note from a House Marshall and took his time reading it. Soon after, he passed it on to Home Minister L K Advani and the duo left the House. In the House, all hell broke loose and Opposition MPs were on their feet clamouring for a government statement on the issue.

The House was adjourned a little after 6 pm and both Congress and BJP leaders went into respective huddles.