PM Modi slams Nehru, says Indus Waters Treaty brought no benefit to India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on Tuesday. He accused Nehru of compromising India's interests by signing the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan in 1960. Modi claimed that Nehru had himself admitted that the treaty brought "no benefit" to India.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on Tuesday. He accused Nehru of compromising India's interests by signing the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan in 1960. He was addressing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parliamentary meeting. Modi claimed that Nehru had himself admitted that the treaty brought "no benefit" to India.
The Prime Minister said Nehru was responsible for "partitioning the country twice", first through the Radcliffe line and later by agreeing to a treaty that allocated 80 percent of the Indus system's waters to Pakistan. He called the agreement "anti-farmer."
Various BJP leaders weigh in
BJP parliamentarians present at the meeting backed Modi's remarks. BJP MP Jagadambika Pal described Nehru's decision as a "betrayal of farmers," and said that the treaty was signed without the approval of either Parliament or the Union Cabinet. "Without the trust of the cabinet and the Parliament, he went to Pakistan and came back alone after signing the agreement. This is a betrayal of our farmers," Pal said as quoted by NDTV.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also criticised the Nehru-led government and claimed that India had handed over Rs 80 crore to Pakistan as part of the arrangement. "We are proud that the Prime Minister stated the facts. Nehru ji not only signed the treaty without cabinet approval or discussion, but also gave Rs 80 crore to them. Such treaties are meant to be ratified in Parliament,” Prasad said.
Indus Water Treaty highlights tensions between India and Pakistan
The controversy over the Indus Waters Treaty has resurfaced amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. On August 14, India firmly rejected an award issued by the Hague-based Court of Arbitration under the IWT. Following the April terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, New Delhi placed the treaty "in abeyance" until Pakistan ends its support for cross-border terrorism.
The Indus Waters Treaty was brokered by the World Bank and signed in 1960 after nine years of negotiations. It allocates the three western rivers, Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan while India controls the eastern rivers of Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
Meanwhile, during the NDA meeting, PM Modi also introduced the alliance's Vice Presidential candidate, CP Radhakrishnan. He described Radhakrishnan as a grassroots OBC leader and praised his simplicity. Modi also said that he was "not someone who plays games in politics.”