NEW DELHI: Asserting that India will not accept any extraneous conditions, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the Government would draw the "necessary conclusions" if the Indo-U.S. civilian nuclear deal did not strictly adhere to the July 18, 2005, joint statement and the March 2, 2006, separation plan.

In his reply to a daylong marathon discussion, he said the Government "will draw the necessary conclusions" in keeping with his commitments given to Parliament in three suo motu statements since July last on the nuclear deal with the United States.

"Any deviation from the July 18, 2005, joint statement and the March 2, 2006, separation plan will not be acceptable to us, and the U.S. administration has been informed of this stand. There is no question of our strategic nuclear autonomy being compromised and new and unacceptable conditions being introduced," Dr. Singh assured the House during his 80-minute reply.

He repeatedly referred to the joint statement and the separation plan, where the parameters for full civil nuclear cooperation with the U.S. had been laid down. He informed the House that he had raised the same concerns in his meeting with U.S. President George Bush in St. Petersburg last month saying that India was not prepared to take on additional commitments beyond what had been agreed in July 2005 and March 2006.

"The central imperative in our discussions with the U.S. on civil nuclear cooperation is to ensure the complete and irreversible removal of existing restrictions imposed on India through iniquitous restrictive trading regimes over the years. We seek the removal of restrictions on all aspects of cooperation and technology transfers pertaining to civil nuclear energy," the Prime Minister said.

Allaying the concerns of the Opposition members, the supporting Left parties and the scientific community on the indigenous nuclear programme, Dr. Singh said nothing would be done to affect the country's independent nuclear programme or its sovereign foreign policy. The March 2 separation plan would ensure adequate fissile material, based on the country's own assessment. The plan provides for India-specific safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, with assurances of uninterrupted supply of fuel to reactors with India's right to take corrective measures in the event fuel supplies are interrupted.

"The autonomy of our research and development activity, including the development of our fast breeder reactors and the thorium programme, will remain unaffected. India will be free to build its own strategic nuclear fuel reserves as well," he assured the House. He also made it clear to Washington that India would oppose any move to impose annual certification by the U.S. President for the implementation of the deal. "If in their final form, the U.S. legislation or the adapted Nuclear Suppliers Group Guidelines impose extraneous conditions on India, the Government will draw the necessary conclusions consistent with my commitments to Parliament and the people."

Dr. Singh said that on August 26, he would meet the members of the Atomic Energy Commission and also the nuclear scientists who had expressed concerns over the agreement.

Asserting that there was no question of submitting to any kind of verification measures, he said:

"There is no question of allowing American inspectors to roam around our nuclear facilities. "Our foreign policy is determined solely by our national interests. No legislation enacted in a foreign country can take away from us that sovereign right. Thus there is no question of India being bound by a law passed by a foreign legislature."

Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat adjourned the House after thanking the members for the exceptional quality of the debate.

Related Stories:
BJP for JPC to monitor deal

Prime Minister's reply to Rajya Sabha discussion on Indo-US nuclear deal

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail