"Is BJP allowing a US military base in India?" :Congress

NEW DELHI: As India is holding the historic G20 Summit in Delhi, Congress leader Manish Tiwari on Saturday launched an attack on the Bharatiya Janta Party-led Centre, asking the government to clarify in Parliament whether the government is aiming to provide a military base to United States soldiers on Indian soil.

Tiwari, citing the India-US joint statement released by the White House on Friday, said, "Is this a precursor to providing US military bases on Indian soil? The NDA/BJP will have to clarify in Parliament."

The Congress leader's attack on the Centre comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit with US President Joe Biden hours after he landed in New Delhi to attend the mega conclave.

According to statement from the White House about the meeting of both leaders at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi, they talked about various key issues and also applauded the conclusion of a second Master Ship Repair Agreement signed between American Navy and Mumbai-based Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders in August 2023.

During the meeting, both leaders recommitted to advancing India’s emergence as a hub for the maintenance and repair of forward-deployed US Navy assets and other aircraft and vessels, according to the White House statement.

Taking to X, Manish Tiwari highlighted a specific part of the India-US joint statement that reads, "The leaders applauded the conclusion of a second Master Ship Repair Agreement, with the most recent agreement signed by the U.S. Navy and Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders, Ltd., in August 2023. Both sides recommitted to advancing India’s emergence as a hub for the maintenance and repair of forward-deployed U.S. Navy assets and other aircraft and vessels."

The leaders also welcomed further commitments from U.S. industry to invest more in India’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities and facilities for aircraft. However, BJP leaders have not reacted to Tiwari's claim. India, as the host of the G20, has welcomed leaders and heads of delegation from across the world for the historic summit that is set to conclude on Sunday (September 10).

This global meeting, a culmination of various ministries, meetings and the engagement of different groups that happened throughout the year, aims to address key issues around the globe. US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are among the key leaders who are in India to attend the two-day event.