The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday rejected the Congress' claim that Australia's decision to supply uranium to India was initiated during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, asserting that international agreements are concluded and implemented by governments rather than political parties. The exchange follows a political debate over India's civil nuclear cooperation with Australia after the Congress argued that the foundation for uranium exports was laid in 2011 under the UPA government. The Opposition party said then Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard had secured her party's approval for uranium sales to India following the India-US civil nuclear agreement, contending that the development predated the Narendra Modi-led government.

Responding to the Congress' remarks, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the party was attempting to take credit for a policy decision that only translated into an international agreement under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. He maintained that bilateral agreements are formalised between sovereign governments and not by political parties. "International agreements are signed and implemented by governments, not political parties. Not every government functions like the Gandhi-Vadra family's private limited enterprise," Bhandari said in a post on X. Questioning the Congress' assertions, Bhandari asked why there was "virtually no Australian uranium supply to India between 2011 and 2014" if the party's approval in Australia had been sufficient to operationalise exports.

He also claimed that Australian authorities had indicated in 2012 that there would be "no uranium supply to India anytime soon," suggesting that the process had not advanced during the UPA's tenure. The Congress, however, has maintained that Australia's policy shift allowing uranium exports to India was approved in 2011 after years of diplomatic engagement. According to the party, Julia Gillard successfully secured support within the Australian Labor Party to end restrictions on uranium sales to India despite the latter not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

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The issue has resurfaced amid renewed discussion on India-Australia strategic ties during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Australia. The BJP has projected the strengthening of bilateral relations, including cooperation in the civil nuclear sector, as a key achievement of the Modi government, while the Congress has argued that many of the foundational policy decisions were initiated during its tenure. India and Australia signed the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in 2014, paving the way for Australian uranium exports to support India's civilian nuclear energy programme.

The agreement entered into force in 2015 after both countries completed the necessary legal and regulatory processes, marking a significant milestone in bilateral strategic cooperation. The latest exchange highlights the continuing political contest over credit for major foreign policy achievements. While the Congress argues that Australia's policy decision originated under the UPA government, the BJP contends that the actual bilateral agreement and its implementation were accomplished during the NDA administration. The debate is expected to continue as both parties seek to highlight their respective roles in shaping India's international partnerships.

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