WASHINGTON:
It isn't just in India that the US-India nuclear deal has become a political
football. As if to prove that politicking is the life-blood of democracies, the
two US presidential candidates also sparred over the deal while welcoming the
Vienna waiver.
Welcoming the
international green signal, Republican nominee John McCain said in a statement
on Sunday that the step, "which is critical to implementing the US-India
civilian nuclear agreement, represents another building block in the partnership
between our two
countries."
"Because the
agreement will further involve India in the global nonproliferation regime,
strengthen the ongoing transformation of US-India relations, and reduce India's
dependence on carbon-emitting energy sources, I supported it early on and
without equivocation," McCain said, pointedly adding, "The same cannot be said
of my opponent, who supported 'poison pill' amendments on the Senate floor that
would have had the effect of killing this important
agreement."
From Chicago, Obama
issued a statement that was more circumspect, calling the NSG approval a
"positive development" and saying that he is looking forward to "reviewing" what
the grouping has agreed in
Vienna.
"I welcome news that
the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) has now reached a consensus to adopt an
exception to its rules that would permit its members to engage in nuclear
cooperation with India. It is a positive development. I look forward to
reviewing what the NSG has agreed in Vienna, and urge the Administration to
submit the US-India Agreement for Civil Nuclear Cooperation to the Congress
quickly," Obama said.
Indian
officials have been in touch with both candidates and their campaign managers to
brief them about the developments relating to the deal, wanting to carry forward
the bipartisan support the agreement has had in Congress.
When the Hyde Act authorizing
the deal first came up before Congress in 2006, it was cleared 359-68 in the
House of Representatives and 85-12 in the US
Senate.
Energy security has
been on the top of the agenda in both the McCain and Obama campaigns, with
differing emphasis. McCain supports exploration of new sources of fossil fuels
and building new nuclear power plants; Obama is more inclined towards green
energy sources.
Both campaigns
are conscious of the broad support the nuclear deal enjoys with the
Indian-American community and the passion it arouses in some sections.