No nuke deal with US till nuclear power recognition: Swamy

Chennai, Aug 28 (UNI) Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy today said India should not negotiate the civil nuclear deal with the United States unless the US first recognised India as a nuclear power.

Addressing a press conference here, he alleged that the US-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement was doomed because some of the Directors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and officials of Nuclear Suppliers Group have pointed out that it would take at least three years to negotiate and finalise the acceptable safeguards.

''By that time, new governments would be in place in India as well as the United States,'' he observed, adding that new governments in the two nations would have to re-negotiate the agreement.

Referring to reports that the Ram Sethu bridge in Rameswaram would be blown up to facilitate the Sethu Samudram shipping canal project, Dr Swamy said he would move the Supreme Court on August 31 to seek a formal injunction against the execution of the project.

The UPA government at the Centre as well as the Karunanidhi government in Tamil Nadu were committing treachery, he alleged.

Dr Swamy claimed that the bridge was still holy and sacred for the Hindus even if it was a natural formation like the ice Linga formed naturally in Amarnath Cave. This was also the apex court's view as stated in a 1958 judgement against atheist DK leader 'Periyar' E V Ramaswami, he pointed out.

UNI