Sonia leads Cong 'victory charge'
Sonia Gandhi led a relieved Congress party to compliment Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the waiver secured from the NSG for the Indo-US nuclear deal.
By Bhaskar Roy, TNN |
NEW DELHI: Sonia Gandhi led a relieved Congress party to compliment Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the waiver secured from the NSG for the Indo-US nuclear deal. A statement issued by the party quoted Sonia Gandhi praising Singh for "his conviction and commitment to pursue with determination India's integration with the global mainstream to meet the requirements of energy security". (Watch)
The statement went on to hail the waiver, saying, "This is a historic moment. Three decades of isolation have ended. This is a tribute to India's impeccable credentials and genuine quest for energy security. With this decisive step, India will also work along with other countries towards ensuring global energy security and addressing a key issue of climate change."
The statement continued, "The NSG waiver marks the culmination of enormous efforts and skilful negotiations by our diplomats and nuclear scientists." The generous prose fully reflected the anxiety that had gripped the party when the deal was foundering in Vienna because of resistance from the non-proliferation hardliners. A setback there would have pushed the party on the defensive, besides raising questions anew about the desirability of the confrontation with the Left.
With the US finally prevailing, party looks set to milk the issue at the hustings, and for ingratiating itself with the middle classes enamoured of the "emerging power" status that the government claims that the deal would help secure for the country. Even before jubilations ebbed at the Congress headquarters, some little muse came out with a line the party managers said could well be the theme song in the poll campaign: " Aap haame vote do, haam aapko bijli denge (Give us votes, we'll give you electricity)". Clearly, the hope is that the Vienna victory will breathe some life into the party's sagging prospects for the series of assembly elections culminating in the Lok Sabha polls.
For a Saturday evening in the Capital's power district, it was indeed busy time. Within minutes of PM Manmohan Singh taking the George W Bush call on his RAX at 7 Race Course Road, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi congratulated both Singh and foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee. Word came from South Block that as a first step the government will move ahead completing the unfinished agenda of economic reforms in the areas of banking, insurance and labour.
At the receiving end of a combined assault from the BJP and Left over the deal, Congress has already set out to give it back to its opponents.
The statement went on to hail the waiver, saying, "This is a historic moment. Three decades of isolation have ended. This is a tribute to India's impeccable credentials and genuine quest for energy security. With this decisive step, India will also work along with other countries towards ensuring global energy security and addressing a key issue of climate change."
The statement continued, "The NSG waiver marks the culmination of enormous efforts and skilful negotiations by our diplomats and nuclear scientists." The generous prose fully reflected the anxiety that had gripped the party when the deal was foundering in Vienna because of resistance from the non-proliferation hardliners. A setback there would have pushed the party on the defensive, besides raising questions anew about the desirability of the confrontation with the Left.
With the US finally prevailing, party looks set to milk the issue at the hustings, and for ingratiating itself with the middle classes enamoured of the "emerging power" status that the government claims that the deal would help secure for the country. Even before jubilations ebbed at the Congress headquarters, some little muse came out with a line the party managers said could well be the theme song in the poll campaign: " Aap haame vote do, haam aapko bijli denge (Give us votes, we'll give you electricity)". Clearly, the hope is that the Vienna victory will breathe some life into the party's sagging prospects for the series of assembly elections culminating in the Lok Sabha polls.
For a Saturday evening in the Capital's power district, it was indeed busy time. Within minutes of PM Manmohan Singh taking the George W Bush call on his RAX at 7 Race Course Road, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi congratulated both Singh and foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee. Word came from South Block that as a first step the government will move ahead completing the unfinished agenda of economic reforms in the areas of banking, insurance and labour.
At the receiving end of a combined assault from the BJP and Left over the deal, Congress has already set out to give it back to its opponents.
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