Kissinger seeks BJP's support for Nuke Deal

New Delhi, Oct 29 (UNI) In an effort to ensure the implementation of the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation agreement, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger met BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani here today.

In the 45-minute meeting, Mr Kissinger is understood to have sought the support of the BJP for the deal.

Earlier, US Ambassador David C Mulford had met Mr Advani last week in connection with the deal which has been put in the back burner by the government for the time-being in the wake of consistent opposition to the deal by the Left Parties and BJP, on the ground that it would take away the country's nuclear sovereignity.

Sources said Mr Kissinger tried to allay all apprehensions about the deal, while other bilateral issues also figured in the talks.

There was, however, no comment from either the BJP or Mr Advani about the meeting.

In the party's daily briefing, senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu, however, while clarifying that the party was not against any discussion on the deal in Parliament asserted that the agreement in the present form was not acceptable to BJP.

''The BJP is not opposing it because of ideological reasons but in the interest of national security,'' he said.

UNI