Brajesh Mishra

New Delhi, July 11: Former national security adviser Brajesh Mishra has congratulated the UPA government on “a good job” over the nuclear deal in comments that would embarrass the BJP.

Mishra, a key aide to Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his term as Prime Minister, has in a TV interview dismissed the concerns raised by some political parties — including the BJP — over the deal’s impact on India’s military nuclear programme.

He has also warned that it might be unwise to re-negotiate the deal, a move the BJP advocates.

“It (the deal) is as good (a one) as we could have got…. The government has done a good job on the agreement and they have my congratulations,” Mishra said, adding he wouldn’t like to comment on politicians.

Although Mishra is a known backer of the nuclear deal and the BJP has disowned him, his views on the nuclear military programme would give the party a red face.

Mishra said claims that the deal would hobble the country’s independent nuclear weapons programme were unfounded since the safeguards agreement mentions Delhi’s military nuclear programme. “So they are making an exception for India,” he said.

Asked about the re-negotiation demand, Mishra said: “Re-negotiation is between two parties; it is not a one-way street. We might also have to give up something. It depends on the political circumstances then.”

Mishra said that while the US was asserting that the safeguards had to be in perpetuity, India was arguing this could not happen if the supply was not in perpetuity.

“In this deal, India has protected itself,” he said, adding that the “corrective measures” mentioned in the draft — which critics feel are not specific enough — could come into play if fuel supply was stopped. “Normally, in an agreement with the IAEA, you do not talk about the fuel supply. But India has been insistent on it,” he said.

He declined comment on the Prime Minister’s assurances to Parliament but felt the 123 Agreement and the safeguards treaty were consistent with each other and neither deserved criticism. He, however, was disappointed with the Centre for keeping the safeguards text under wraps until the end.

Mishra’s comments came as the BJP lambasted the safeguards text, claiming it did not grant India nuclear weapons status and failed to recognise its nuclear weapons programme. It also objected to the absence of a guarantee for uninterrupted fuel supply and the concession of sweeping inspection rights.

This interpretation, however, may be disputed since the text acknowledges that India’s nuclear programme has a non-civilian component. It also says the safeguards will not interfere with India’s use of any nuclear material or technology it produces, acquires or develops independently of the agreement.