New Delhi: Amid Congress’ ongoing concerns over alleged foreign role in India-Pakistan diplomacy, especially following Operation Sindoor, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday alleged that the 1988 nuclear agreement between India and Pakistan was signed under US pressure during former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure.
He shared what he dubbed as a declassified letter on X. Dubey claimed that then US President Ronald Reagan had set the agenda of talks between New Delhi and Islamabad. Dubey wrote on X: “Under American pressure, we spoke to Pakistani President General Zia. The agenda for the talks was set by the US President.”
He added: “What we understood after this letter was that Pakistan and we did the nuclear deal in 1988 under American pressure. Why is Congress angry? When I saw this paper, I felt ashamed.” Dubey attached a copy of the letter that he pointed out was addressed by Reagan to Rajiv Gandhi.
Dubey also alleged that the Congress-led government shaped its foreign policy to align with US interests.
He wrote: “Whatever we talked to our friend Soviet Russia about on the Afghanistan problem was an American agenda. Is this the Simla Agreement? Is the Iron Lady the mentality of slavery? Were we a sovereign nation at that time? Is Congress abusing Modi Ji to make India stronger.”
कांग्रेस को ग़ुस्सा क्यों आता है?
जब इस पेपर को हमने देखा तो मुझे आत्म ग्लानि हुई
अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति रोनाल्ड रेगन ने यह पत्र/ टेलीग्राम तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री राजीव गांधी जी को भेजा है
1. अमेरिकी दबाव में हम पाकिस्तानी राष्ट्रपति जेनरल जिया से बात किए
2. बातचीत का एजेंडा… pic.twitter.com/kz9qhPESeo— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) May 29, 2025
The 1988 nuclear pact between India and Pakistan, officially called the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, was inked on December 31, 1988 and became effective on January 27, 1991.
Dubey’s comments come amid a fresh domestic debate over foreign hand in India-Pakistan diplomacy, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s Operation Sindoor. He also cited a letter reportedly written by Rajiv Gandhi to President Reagan, requesting mediation with Pakistan — a move he claimed violated the 1972 Shimla Agreement, which prohibits third-party intervention.
Earlier, the BJP MP had highlighted a declassified US intelligence cable from 1971, which indicated that Indira Gandhi consented to a UN-mediated ceasefire during the Bangladesh Liberation War due to intense international pressure.
