The BJP has said it will not support the Constitution Amendment Bill to give effect to the 2011 India-Bangladesh Boundary Agreement dashing the government’s hopes to get the measure through Parliament. The party has argued that the government has “failed” to take onboard all stakeholders.For several months, the government persuaded senior BJP leaders to vote for the Bill as it had already signed the agreement with the Bangladesh government, which grappled with anti-India elements. In recent weeks, there were indications from the government that after several rounds of talks with BJP leaders, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid succeeded in convincing them that the agreement would not affect the Indian interests.
At a news conference here on Monday, senior BJP leader Yashwant Singh accused the government of having ruined relations with all neighbours. He said the BJP would not support the Constitution Amendment Bill.
The Bill has been pending for long, and the government is keen on getting it through during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament. – The Hindu
