Somnath Chatterjee

New Delhi, Aug. 17: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today rejected the demand for debating the nuclear deal under rule 184, which entails voting.

The House is now likely to discuss the agreement under rule 193 on Thursday.

The Speaker said Parliament did not have the competence to affect the finality or enforceability of any deal struck by the government, hence any notice seeking a directive for re-negotiation could not be accepted.

But he allowed the House to consider the “the statement made by the Prime Minister on August 13 regarding the Indo-US nuclear deal.”

His ruling said: “According to our Constitution, in the absence of appropriate laws made by Parliament, the right of the central government to enter into treaties and agreements with foreign countries in its sovereign power is unrestricted and any such treaty or agreement becomes effective without any intervention by Parliament.

“It is also well established there is no requirement to obtain ratification from Parliament.”

Chatterjee had initially proposed Monday for the debate but the BJP said it had a farmers’ rally lined up in Delhi that day. Over the next two days, the government will be busy as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be in the capital. So, the debate is expected to take place on Thursday.

Reacting to the ruling, Opposition leader L.K. Advani said the government must enact a law to make ratification of such treaties or agreements — which impinge on the nation’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity — by Parliament mandatory. “If the executive commits a mistake, the nation should have Parliament to rely on,” he argued.

Advani, who is obviously pleased by the sparring between the Left and the Congress, said he would not be happy if the government fell as he would like it to continue and “make blunders, commit more mistakes and fill up their pot of sins”.

Making fun of “end-of-honeymoon” and “divorce” talks in the media, Advani said while the Opposition was united in opposing the deal and wanted it re-negotiated, the ruling alliance was divided and the government’s attitude had alienated the UPA from the Left.