Maintaining that there are no differences within the Bharatiya Janata Party over the Indo-US nuclear deal, the BJP on Tuesday said the party will vote against the deal when the issue comes up before the monsoon session of Parliament.
BJP president Rajnath Singh, however, evaded an answer if the party would move a no-confidence motion in Parliament. "Let the Left decide first what they want to do. We need not reveal our strategy," he said in an interview to India News channel.
Rajnath Singh said the Left parties were threatening for a long time to withdraw their support to the United Progressive Alliance government. "People have started disbelieving them. I do not trust them also," he remarked.
The BJP president's remarks came in the wake of Leader of the Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani's comments that the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance would renegotiate the Indo-US nuclear deal if voted to power to insulate India from the provisions of Hyde Act which prevented India from conducting future nuclear tests.
He blamed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the present impasse because he did not discuss it with the opposition.
Though, he invited some BJP leaders for a discussion, there was little scope for it when he said the 'deal was frozen'.
Rajnath Singh accused Dr Singh of misleading Parliament because whatever he had stated in Parliament was not in the agreement.
"BJP is unwilling to sacrifice the country's strategic options," he said.
When asked about the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the BJP president said the issue was that the UPA government is signing a treaty that prevents India from future tests if it is necessary.
About the emerging political situation, the BJP president admitted that the scene was warming up for elections, but would not hazard a guess on the timing of the Lok Sabha elections. "We are fully prepared and are hopeful of BJP and NDA emerging victorious," he said.
Regarding the expansion of the NDA, he said the party was in touch with some other parties. "We are talking. We will let you know at an appropriate time." He was noncommittal regarding a suggestion that he had a meeting with the Pattali Makkal Katchi leader Ramadoss after its estrangement with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the main UPA ally in the state.
Answering questions regarding the party's moves in Uttar Pradesh, Rajnath Singh, also a former chief minister of the state, ruled out, "No. Not at all. There is no such talk (tie up with Bahujan Samaj Party)," he said noting at the same time BJP and BSP had got engaged (sagai) thrice only to called it off.
"The marriage cannot take place," he said.
To a question if his astro chart had brought happy times for the BJP, Rajnath Singh said the party's success was because of hard work of the partymen and not due to any individual.
When his attention was drawn to the comments that he had a lucky astro chart, Rajnath Singh revealed that his 'janam patri' was not clear on the date of birth. "If somebody prepares the birth chart based on certain incidents and inferences, I don't think it can be perfect," he said.
The BJP chief denied that the party was beset by problems.
There was no internal crisis in the party, he declared and said, "Ours is a party with internal democracy. When we take a collective decision it is not taken by a few people. It is taken only after serious analysis and wide consultations, in a true and democratic manner."