India's ruling party leaders defend nuclear deal with US

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur

India's ruling party leaders defend nuclear deal with US

Nov 17, 2007, 12:39 GMT

New Delhi - Leaders of India's Congress Party, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi, strongly defended the proposed civilian nuclear deal with the United States at a party conclave in the capital on Saturday.

Progress on making the deal operational was stalled after sharp criticism by allies of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on the left. The left partners had expressed apprehension that the deal would adversely impact India's strategic sovereignty.

The deal would allow the US to export fissile missile technology and materials for Indian civilian reactors ending a 30-year ban, but only after India concludes a special safeguards arrangement with the IAEA and the deal is approved by the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

'I would like to say that the propaganda that is being made that this nuclear deal will any way hurt our strategic programme is totally false,' Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told his party members at the All India Congress Committee session.



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