It was by NDA and it was not to Mulayam Singh, but to the third circus of the country, United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), of which SP was the main constituent! He said he had been authorised by NDA to make the offer to the UNPA that the alliance would extend outside support to a UNPA-led government.

The condition was that UNPA as a block must support NDA candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat for the post of President of India. The offer was conveyed through none other than All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary, Jayalalithaa. He went with the offer to a five-star hotel in Delhi, from where the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief and the SP directors were serving their people in TN and UP!

Meanwhile, cozying up to the Congress has cost SP its key ally in UNPA. Om Prakash Chautala of the Haryana-based ’Aya Ram Gaya Ram’ outfit Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has swiftly distanced himself from the claim that it was he who suggested that APJ Abdul Kalam’s views on the nuclear deal be sought. He discounted the ’rumour’ saying: “Look here, everyone knows what Kalam’s views on the deal are, what’s the point of going to him? The UNPA will not support the pact.” Mulayam Singh Yadav and his strategist Amar Singh have touted the advice of Kalam that the US-India nuclear deal was for the benefit of India for taking the U-turn. They, however, had no answers when asked what prevented them from accessing his ‘expert scientific advice’ earlier.

The fact of the matter is that none of these politicians, including the comrades, are genuinely against cooperation with the US, IAEA and NSG. They are only concerned about their vote-bank consequences. After all, deal or no deal, India dare not defy world opinion once again and test a nuke device. Everyone with a little grey matter is aware of the fate of North Korea and Iran. How many of the fiery nationalist patriots, who only enjoy talking, are prepared for sanctions?

Only the nuke officialdom wants to keep the sector under its thumb as long as possible by hook or by crook. They understandably want to avoid accountability that will result from opening the sector to competition. After all, the establishment has always squandered monstrous sums, sponged off from the masses who are kept energy starved. And, that is fine with wheeler dealers like Amar or Karat, who have lots of grey matter!

Another nagging fact is that Dr Kalam, who uses the prefix to represent his unearned honorary doctorates, had taken a somersault from the NDA stance to UPA position just two months back. Kalam is hailed as a nuclear scientist, but had never worked for Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) or Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) during his bureaucratic career with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). But has enjoyed all top offices, including that of father of Indian missiles, only in recognition of his loyalty to masters of the day! He did not mind being a poster boy of the saffronites for enjoying the goodies after retirement. How was it that the defence and scientific advisor to AB Vajpayee in 1998, who advised him to defy global opinion on non-proliferation, was ignorant of the uranium reserves position then? The Shakti tests ended 24 years of restraint and made the world help Pakistan to become nuclear powered as well. Taking the name of such a character like Kalam will only weaken the real arguments in favour of the deal!

Now, is there any Pakistani who dares to claim that the circus in Islamabad is more entertaining and damaging than the one at New Delhi?