Modi showed unnecessary desperation for NSG membership, says Congress

The Congress on Friday asserted that central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, showed unnecessary desperation for the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership that embarrassed the country in the end. [caption id=“attachment_2851226” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A file photo of Anand Sharma. PTI[/caption] “Diplomacy is always done by wisdom and silence. We have never seen diplomacy being conducted in this manner, making it very clear whom are you are lobbying with and whom you are petitioning with,” senior Congress leader and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said talking to reporters at party headquarters here. “It is an embarrassment for India to do what was not required. This kind of intense lobbying by Prime Minister Modi and his government, we can understand, should have been done for UN Security Council membership,” Sharma said insisting, there was no need to show desperation that led India to be equated with Pakistan in NSG case. “Why did the Prime Minister and this government make so much of noise about it and kind of hectic campaigning and lobbying for it? In 2008, NSG had given India specific waiver which allowed India’s integration with the Nuclear mainstream after decades of isolation,” he added. That agreement Sharma said paved the way for India to enter into agreement with United States of America. He added that India specific IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) agreement allowed India to also trade with NSG Countries. “NSG countries can sell reactors to India and India can do the same. So there was no need of this desperation on NSG issue,” Sharma said. He added NSG membership would not have brought any drastic change to India’s nuclear trade.