Bush letter on N-deal triggers fresh controversy

New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) - A fresh controversy broke out
Friday over U.S. President George W. Bush's observations that
fuel supply assurances under Indo-U.S. nuclear deal were "not
legally binding" with the Left parties and the BJP attacking
the government, which itself said it was "intrigued".

Official sources said they were "intrigued" by the
contents in Bush's memorandum to the U.S. Congress which said
the 123 agreement records certain political commitments
concerning reliable nuclear fuel supply assurances but does
not not transform them into legally binding commitments
discuss the issue with the U.S.

Maintaining that they would discuss this with the U.S.,
the sources said the 123 agreement clearly specifies the
responsibility of the U.S. to ensure uninterrupted fuel
supplies, even if it terminates its own cooperation with India
due to some reason.

The C.P.I.(M.) and the B.J.P. accused the government of
"consistently misleading" the country on the nuclear deal,
while the Congress sought to play it down saying "there is no
need to read too much into it.

"The commitment given by the top executive authority or
by the Head of the government, carries the weight of the
solemn assurance of the government behind it," Congress
spokesman Manish Tewari said here.

Tewari said the U.S. has said that these were binding
Presidential commitments which it intends to implement in
accordance with the U.S. laws and policies.

Senior C.P.I.(M.) leader Sitaram Yechury said that Bush
is set to demit office in the next few months and the only
legal binding the U.S. has is the Hyde Act which, he claimed,
carried no assurances on uninterrupted fuel supply to India.

"The covering note of the determination states there are
no legally binding assurances on the U.S. for fuel supplies.
It also makes clear that the IAEA safeguards are in perpetuity
and not as Indian officials claimed," a C.P.I.(M.) politburo
statement said.

Opposition BJP also turned the heat on the government
accusing it of undermining the "nuclear sovereignty" of the
country and demanded a clarification.

"The Prime Minister consciously misled the country,
all the political parties and the Indian parliament on the
issue," BJP chief Rajnath Singh said in his opening remarks at
the party's national executive in Bangalore.

Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh demanded that the
government issue a "categorical clarification" on the issue to
assuage the concerns over the issue.

Bush's memorandum to the U.S. Congress seeking its
approval of the 123 agreement comes close on the heels of the
revelations in a State Department letter in which the
Administration had made it clear that it will stop fuel
supplies and other nuclear cooperation if India conducts a
nuclear test. PTI TEAM