Modi govt doesn’t have mandate to push India into US military bloc: Cong

Stepping up its opposition to the logistics exchange agreement with the US, Congress on Thursday said the Narendra Modi government “does not have a national mandate” to push India into American military bloc and demanded that it “retrace” its steps.

“We ask the government not to sign this agreement but to retrace their steps and ensure that India’s past position of not leaning or being drawn into military blocs is respected,” senior Congress spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters.

He claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government “do not have a national mandate” to push India into closer military alliance and become part of the larger operational designs and requirements of the US in Asia and Pacific and South China Sea.

“We have strong reservations and concerns” over such a move. He said it would, in fact, be “inviting opposition and serious concerns” of India’s strategic partners like Russia and even China.

“You cannot just sign off India’s strategic interests. That would be detrimental to India, we will oppose it, we are opposed to it, we are actually appealing to the good sense of the Prime Minister to stop this...,” he said.

He said it would also “undermine” the critical geo-strategic balance and also the balance for forces in India’s extended neighbourhood.