Describing the United Progressive Alliance-Left committee on the nuclear deal as parochial and partisan, the Opposition National Democratic Alliance on Tuesday said the arrangement was more to save the government and warned of a united action if the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was not accepted.
"We are consulting other opposition parties and the NDA parties will meet tomorrow to chalk out the future course of action," Leader of the Opposition L K Advani told a joint press conference along with other NDA leaders.
Advani said the 15-member committee was more to save the government than going into the agreement.
He said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who met him during the day, has rejected the demand for a JPC, but "we would still like the government to reconsider".
Advani side-stepped questions if the NDA would support moves for early sine die adjournment of the current session of Parliament, saying he could not answer hypothetical questions, but maintained appointment of the committee has pre-empted any debate on the issue.
Advani read out a statement titled 'Indo-US nuclear agreement hijacked' which said that setting up of the committee was a "deliberate and blatant violation" of Parliament's rights, prerogatives and privileges.
"This setting up of a private committee is a total negation of the opposition's rights and role in Parliament. It trivialises the importance of a vital national issue affecting our national security and the country's strategic autonomy for the next half century," the BJP leader said.
He alleged that the government has "voluntarily handed over" decision making to the CPI-M and the Left Front.
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