Nuke deal not to hit strategic programme: Pranab

New Delhi, Dec 12 (UNI) Acknowledging that the Bill passed by the US Congress on December 8/9 does have some ''extraneous and prescriptive provisions,'' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee today assured the Lok Sabha that India would brook no external scrutiny of its strategic programme.

''We will not allow external scrutiny of or interference with the strategic programme,'' Mr Mukherjee said in a suo motu statement in the wake of concern expressed by the Left and the opposition alike over certain provisions of the US Bill.

India would strive to ensure that the proposed 123 Agreement with the US for bilateral cooperation in the nuclear field, the India-specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA and the arrangement with the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group did not come in the way of its strategic programme and the three-stage nuclear programme, he said.

''We should bear in mind that while every stage of this process is important, the test of this process is for India to secure full civil nuclear cooperation with the international community while protecting our strategic programme and maintaining the integrity of our three-stage nuclear programme and indigenous R and D,'' the Minister said.

He said the government...picking up from para three, line one of PAR6, NUCLEAR-PRANAB LS.

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