Congress takes swipe at BJP over India-Australia civil nuclear energy pact

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the BJP over the India-Australia civil nuclear energy pact, claiming it became possible because of the 2008 US-India Nuclear Agreement that the BJP had opposed. His remarks followed the signing of multiple India-Australia strategic cooperation agreements

New Delhi: The Congress creates turning points while the BJP specialises in “U-turning points”, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday, taking a swipe at the ruling party after India and Australia sealed a pact on civil nuclear energy.

Ramesh said the pact between India and Australia has been made possible only because of the US-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement that finally became law on October 8, 2008, which the BJP “had all along opposed”.

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In a post on X, Ramesh said, “Award-Jeevi has proudly announced that Australia is to supply uranium to India. This has been made possible ONLY because of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement that finally became law on October 8, 2008.”

“It was Dr. Manmohan Singh’s meeting with President George Bush in July 2005 that had kickstarted the negotiations. The BJP had all along opposed this transformative accord both in Parliament and outside,” the Congress leader said.

“The Congress creates turning points while the BJP specialises in U-turning points,” Ramesh said.

His remarks came after India and Australia sealed a raft of landmark pacts spanning civil nuclear energy, maritime security and critical minerals sectors, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese reinforced the vital role of the bilateral partnership in ensuring a peaceful Indo-Pacific.

Following the Modi-Albanese meeting, the two sides also unveiled an India-Australia joint declaration on defence and security, a joint statement on energy ties and a roadmap for collaboration in cyber, critical technologies and supply chains.

The pact on civil nuclear energy will facilitate the commercial supply of uranium from Australia to India to help New Delhi’s nuclear power projects.