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Journalism of Courage
The BJP is unlikely to oppose the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh for which the government will move a Bill to amend the Constitution in the next half of the Budget session.
We are unlikely to oppose the agreement, a senior BJP Lok Sabha MP told The Indian Express,reasoning that it was necessary to strengthen pro-Indian forces in Bangladesh at a time when prime minister Sheikh Hasina is fighting anti-India fundamentalist forces.
BJPs stand will comfort the Centre because the Constitution One Hundred and Nineteenth Amendment Bill,2013 would require two-thirds vote to see the pact through. There is a sense of urgency on part of the Centre given that Sheikh Hasina is facing polls later this year and she needs the pact to flaunt as an achievement to seek another term.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,in fact,had appealed for support to the move while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to Presidents speech in Rajya Sabha earlier this month. This is an agreement which would ensure peace and tranquility on the border,which would remove uncertainties8230; I hope that when we bring this Bill before Parliament,Parliament would have the wisdom to approve it with acclamation, he had said.
Incidentally,BJP chief Rajnath Singh in his March 11 visit to Kolkata didnt sound opposed to the move. On land border issue with Bangladesh,we want good relations with them. But at the same time India should also secure its own interest. Before taking any decision the government should go for a consensus with all political parties, he reportedly said.
However,BJP sources sought to highlight his demand to secure Indian interest and extract a bargain. It is in the interest of India. However,government should try to extract some sweetener deal for India in return, said a leader.
Sources said Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid had called on Rajnath this month to discuss the issue after the BJP chief appeared to be taking a hawkish stand in his address at the BJP national council meet on March 2. The BJP chief expressed the need for an elaborate discussion on this issue in Parliament. He also called for the government to come out with concrete gains that will accrue to India. He suggested it to engage in hard bargain with Bangladesh for Indian interests as well, a source said.
Khurshid had also made a presentation to 16 top BJP leaders on December 11. Sources said the government has sought to address BJPs insistence on concrete gains to compensate Indias territorial loss. One of the gains,they said,include the stability of boundaries that will help keep better check on illegal immigration from Bangladesh.
