Nuke deal: India won't compromise, PM assures LS

New Delhi, July 26: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured the Lok Sabha that his government will never compromise in a manner that is inconsistent with the July 18 Indo-US joint statement on civilian nuclear energy, and said he is ready for a debate in the House on the issue.

''I have on more than one occasion shared our government's views in Parliament'' that we will not compromise and that everything would be transparent, he said during Question Hour.

''We are ready for a debate, if the Speaker allowed. I am willing to make a suo motu statement, let there be a debate,'' he said.

Earlier, replying to supplementaries, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said India was not willing to accept any fresh obligation that was outside the templates of the July 18, 2005 joint statement, and the nuclear separation plan tabled in Parliament in March this year.

''We will not compromise, and will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy'' he said.

Mr Sharma said India was awaiting the US legislation on the nuclear deal. ''Nothing is final yet.'' He said a Bill, titled the 'United States and India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006', was introduced in the US House of Representatives and voted upon by the House International Relations Committee on June 27.

''The Bill will have to be voted upon by the full House and reconciled with its Senate counterpart version before it becomes a law. This is an ongoing process.'' The Bill, he said, provided the US President with waiver authority to exempt India from certain provisions of the 1954 Atomic Energy Act of the United States for full civilian nuclear energy cooperation to take place beteween the two countries.

''Such cooperation is intended to benefit India's energy security, help the acceleration of our growth and lead to the dismantling of technology regimes,'' Mr Sharma said.

He said India had finalised its separation plan. The US side had to adjust US laws and policies and work with its friends and allies to adjust international regimes to enable full civil nuclear energy cooperation and trade with India.

''Environment-friendly nuclear energy is an important component of fuel mix, in whose absence India will have to depend on fossil fuel.'' On India's vote against Iran at the IAEA, he said Iran had right to pursue its nuclear policy, but it was also a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

''We have not deviated from our present foreign policy.''

UNI