India's MTCR entry thanks to a deal between Italy and Modi govt, says Congress

New Delhi: Congress on Monday claimed that India became a full-member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as a result of a “deal” with Italy by the Narendra Modi government on the issue of two Italian marines. Party spokesman Kapil Sibal claimed that India’s entry into the MTCR followed a “deal” with Italy by the Modi government on the issue of the marines charged in a case of killing two Indian fishermen. He said while India was becoming a member of the MTCR, Italy was the only country opposing its entry and the ghar wapsi (sending back home) of the Italian Marines paved the way for the agreement. [caption id=“attachment_2352706” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Kapil Sibal. Reuters.[/caption] India on Monday joined the MTCR as a full member and said its entry would be mutually beneficial to enhance global non-proliferation norms. Marking India’s first entry into any multilateral export control regime, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar signed the instrument of accession to MTCR in the presence of France’s Ambassador-designate Alexandre Ziegler, The Netherlands’ Ambassador Alphonsus Stoelinga and Luxembourg’s Chargé d’Affaires Laure Huberty. India’s entry into MTCR comes days after it failed to get NSG membership due to stiff opposition from China and a few other countries. Asked about the prime minister’s veiled attack on the Congress over the GST issue, Sibal said that Modi instead of going to Washington seven time to meet Barack Obama, should have at least once visited drought-hit Marathwada to meet poor farmers then “We would have believed him that he thinks of poor”. He was asked to react on Modi’s reported remarks that GST Bill will benefit the poor and there is only one political party which is not allowing it to pass.