New Delhi: A year after the Indo-US nuclear deal posed a major threat to the UPA government and caused serious disruptions in Parliament, the next phase of that deal, the End User Monitoring Agreement, is becoming a huge controversy.
After the Opposition staged walkouts on Tuesday, describing the agreement as a sellout.
The Congress leadership is in a huddle. Party president Sonia Gandhi is holding a high-level meeting with Pranab Mukherjee, AK Antony and Ahmed Patel.
End User Agreement: The controversy
At the root of the controversy is the fact that the agreement allows the US to inspect all military equipment and dual use technologies sold to India.
So what exactly is this deal about? And what are the objections?
The US has similar agreements with 82 other countries but India is claiming a diplomatic victory over the fact that the US will not have a unilateral right to inspect India's military bases or the military equipment it sells to India.
But the opposition and even some UPA allies are critical of the government accusing it of succumbing to US pressure.
The BJP argues that US weapons inspectors can walk into Indian military installations on the pretext that they want to check the use of US hardware.
The DMK has also sought clarifications as well on this.
The biggest hurdle in the run up to agreeing on the terms for End User Monitoring for the last 2 years was whether inspectors would be allowed access to equipment inside Indian military installations at their will.
The government insists such inspections will be done at a place and time of India's choice and with mutual consultation. And this will be binding for all US military sales in the future not even changes in any US law in the future will impact the agreement.