The Opposition on Wednesday termed “disastrous” the Modi Government’s decision to sign the logistics Support Agreement with the United States saying it will hit the Independence of India’s foreign policy.
“NDA Government’s decision to sign logistics Support Agreement with US is the beginning of the end of the Independence of India’s foreign policy and strategic autonomy. It is a disastrous decision. Government should retract the decision and should not sign this agreement and other foundation agreements,” former Defence Minister AK Antony said.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and visiting US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter had, however, made it clear that the agreement, which will be signed in “weeks” or “coming months”, does not entail deployment of American troops on Indian soil.
left parties also lashed out at the government for its “in principle” agreement, terming it as “dangerous and anti-national” move and demanded that it “immediately retract” from inking the agreement.
“Modi Government has taken the dangerous step…In doing so, the BJP Government has crossed a line which no other Government has done since Independence - converting India into a full-fledged military ally of the United States,” the CPI(M) noted in a statement.
The JD(U) condemned the move of deepening military tie-up with US. “It is for the first time India is going to have such kind of treaty. On the one hand, US is selling F-16s to Pakistan and on the other, it is initiating friendly security tie-up with India. The Indian govt. has failed to understand the designed agenda on security policy of the USA,” said JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi.