India News | Bill to Ban Financing of WMDs Finds Cross-party Support in LS
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. MPs across party lines supported a bill that seeks to prohibit financing of weapons of mass destruction during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) MPs across party lines supported a bill that seeks to prohibit financing of weapons of mass destruction during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Initiating the discussion, Congress MP Uttam Reddy proposed that the term “individual” in the bill should be replaced with "organisations and countries" which finance weapons of mass destruction. It should also be considered that the bill applies to foreigners, he said.
Reddy alleged that Pakistan aircrafts now have the delivery system for all weapons of mass destruction, including tactical and chemical.
"WMDs were last used in World War II. Countries were afraid to use them after that. Of late countries are becoming more brazen in using these weapons, first Syria and now Russia. WMDs are becoming more potent and powerful.
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"I caution the government on the drones being manufactured to carry WMDs. With instability in neighbouring countries, it is more dangerous," said Reddy, a former air force pilot.
Earlier, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar said that the ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022', has been brought keeping in mind the national interest and global interest, and to strengthen India's credentials and image.
The existing ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005', does not cover the financial aspect of WMD delivery systems and new provisions were essential to meet India's international obligations, he said.
Reddy said that the FATF report on proliferation financing suggests that countries must raise awareness and help clarify obligations on individuals, firms, and financial organisations to be vigilant to proliferation and proliferation financing.
The report also suggested providing for a basis within a country's legal framework to report suspicious financial activities, he said.
"The bill does not mention either. To fully achieve deterrence against proliferation financing, a level of international cooperation is required with respect to extradition.
“This is to prevent creating safe havens for violators of the law and to initiate mutual legal assistance for investigating and prosecuting those financing WMDs," he said.
Reddy said that at present India has around 60 extradition treaties with other countries.
DMK MP A Raja recalled India's role in the domain of disarmament. He said that in 1998, the then PM Rajiv Gandhi had given a proposal to the UN for a phased elimination of nuclear weapons.
"Though we have the status of being a nuclear weapon state, we did not mitigate our stand of a nuclear weapons-free world. This government has kept the commitment given by Manmohan Singh without reservation and criticism," he said, adding, that a holistic approach was needed to approach the menace of financing of WMDs.
BJP MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said that the amendment has been brought by the government to secure the country.
"The use of weapons of mass destruction is unpredictable. They also destroy ecosystem, they can be chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear. And all this can be developed very easily. That is why this amendment has been brought, to stop it from happening,” said Rathore.
"To keep an eye on them, how they are being financed and so that the people involved can be surveilled, that is why this bill has been brought. The country is getting secure, there is a zero-tolerance towards terrorism and anti-terror alliance have been made," he said. PTI ASG
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)