US poll results: no need to revisit Indo-US deal : Kakodkar

Hyderabad, Nov 8 (UNI) As news poured in of Democrats gaining control of the Senate and Congress in the just-concluded US polls, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Anil Kakodkar was confident that the Indo-US nuclear deal need not be revisited.

With the US Senate reconvening for a lameduck session on November 13, and another later next month, the AEC Chief said he would 'not prejudge and would prefer to wait'. Even going by the Democrats' propensity to oppose the Indo-US nuclear initiative, having moved 19 amendments during the hearing, Dr Kakodkar said he did not deem it necessary to jump the gun on imposition of possible condition on the deal.

'The Indo-US nuclear deal is not only complex but the issue has to be dealt with step by step'.

At the same time he asserted that 'everything in the deal is about equal partners, which is a win-win situation for both the sides. The reciprocity has to be there (as in the deal)'.

Without attempting to predict the possible fall out, the AEC Chief said that it would depend on how they (events) unfold.

The AEC is pursuing its domestic plans on nuclear energy, irrespective of the outcome of the deal. There was no compromise as had been demonstrated and the preference was to carry it forward,'' he said.

On separation of civil-military facilities, which was reportedly insisted on by the Democrats during the Congressional hearings, Dr Kakodkar said there was no variance from what the Prime Minister had told Parliament. The focus of the civil-nuclear plan was cooperation without adversely impacting India's strategic preparedness, he noted.

UNI DB VD RAI1759