India's opposition parties express concern over India-U.S. military logistics pact

Opposition parties in India have expressed concerns over an agreement between India and United States to allow the two countries to use of each other's military bases.

The main opposition Congress party described the agreement as fundamental departure from India's time-tested policy of strategic military neutrality, while as Communist Party of India said with the agreement India has acquired formal status of a being a military ally to U.S..

India and the U.S. signed a major defense agreement on Monday in Washington called Logistics Exchange Memorandum Of Agreement (LEMOA). The agreement was signed by India's Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar with U.S. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter.

As per the pact, the militaries of two countries can use each other's land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply. The agreement is viewed as an indication of growing deeper defense ties between the two countries.

"Signing of LEMOA is a fundamental departure from India's time-tested policy of strategic military neutrality," Congress party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

"It raises a genuine and grave apprehension regarding India being unwarrantedly drawn into an operation military design in Asia-Pacific region and Middle-East."

The Congress party demanded that the contents of the agreement be placed in public domain or at least shared with the opposition parties as according to it the decision was taken in an "opaque manner" by "stealth and also unilaterally without national consensus".

Reports said the discussions to ink the pact were going on between the two nations for nearly a decade. Indian politicians and its defense officials were wary that it would bring New Delhi into a formal military alliance with U.S., where India has to support conflicts of U.S., which would likely earn an ire from other countries.

The CPI(M) politburo strongly condemned the LEMOA agreement between India and U.S.

"The Modi government has compromised on Indian sovereignty and surrendered its strategic autonomy by signing such an agreement with the most powerful imperialist country in the world," reads the statement issued by CPI (M). "All patriotic Indians will reject such a subordinate role to U.S. imperialism."

Indian Defense Ministry on Tuesday said the agreement does not create any obligation on either party to carry out any joint activity and does not provide for the establishment of bases.

However, it believes that the agreement would significantly enhance the operational capacity of the Indian armed forces especially during their response to humanitarian crisis or disaster relief. Endit