No interference to be allowed in strategic programme: Govt

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, in a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha today, made it clear that India would not allow "external scrutiny" of its facilities or any "interference" with its strategic programme.

Although he admitted that there were certain "extraneous and prescriptive" provisions in the US legislation on the Indo-US nuclear deal, he added that the Bush administration had categorically assured India that the legislation passed by the Congress "explicitly" authorised civil nuclear cooperation with India "fully consistent" with the July 18, 2005 agreement and the March 2, 2006 Separation Plan.

Under the Separation Plan, India has offered to put 14 of its 22 nuclear reactors under IAEA safeguards. Seeking to allay apprehensions that the government was acting at Washington's behest on the deal, Mukherjee said India's strategic programme remained outside the purview of discussions with the US on the issue.

"We have always maintained that the conduct of foreign policy, determined solely by our national interests, is our sovereign right. We will not allow external scrutiny of or interference with the strategic programme," he said.

Mukherjee outlined the government's stand a day after Left allies termed as unacceptable India reaching any bilateral agreement with the US on the nuclear issue on the basis of the American legislation on the implementation of the deal.

Mukherjee said that India had to work out a 123 Agreement with the US, negotiate an India-specific Safeguards Agreement and an Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency and seek adjustments in the guidelines of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to permit transfers to India.

He termed as significant the enactment of waivers from certain provisions of the US Atomic Energy Act, which allows the US to give access to India to civilian nuclear energy despite the fact that India has not accepted the full scope of safeguards, and despite maintaining a strategic programme.

Mukherjee emphatically said "we fully expect" the July 18 and March 2 statements to be "reflected" in the bilateral 123 Agreement, which was under negotiation and would make this deal operational.

He said the government position on the principles and concerns that guided India's approach to the nuclear understanding had been set forth by the PM on August 17 this year in Parliament.