Govt approached BJP on N-deal when on verge of falling: Advani

Senior BJP leader L K Advani today revealed that it was UPA government's neglect of the Opposition party on the Indo-US nuclear deal which was the main reason why the BJP refused to bail out the government on the deal despite high profile parleys last week.

Advani said that the BJP was ready to discuss the deal under a non-voting rule during the winter session, if a vote on the discussion was not allowed.

Four days before the winter session of Parliament, Advani said the government had approached the party on the nuclear issue when it was on the "verge of falling". This was the main reason why the BJP told the government to pay the price for its "opportunism."

"The results would have been different if the government had initiated talks with the Opposition (on the Indo-US nuclear deal).We would have tried to find a way on the Hyde Act if they had talked to us," L K Advani said, enroute to Bangalore to witness the swearing-in of South India's first BJP chief minister.

He added that "the government will have to pay the wages of opportunism."

"Now, they have reached out to talk when they are at the verge of falling," he said, adding it was "too late" for the government to initiate talks with the opposition. "They are merely doing formalities," he alleged.

Noting that the priority of the government was "not to save the deal but to save the government," he said the Congress-led coalition was under pressure from its allies to ensure that it did not fall. Having a dig at the Left parties, Advani said, "Now the CPI(M) is fearing elections because of the backlash of Nandigram."