Kakodkar says India, no push over

Mumbai, Aug 25 (UNI) Asserting that India would not budge from the draft agreement before the 45 member Nuclear Suppliers Group, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar today said the country cannot be pushed.

Talking to newsmen on the sidelines of the graduation function of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Trombay, near here, Mr Kakodkar said, ''Civil nuclear cooperation is important for us, but that does not mean (it should be) at any cost''.

''Why should we agree to be pushed, we must push,'' he said, when asked about the changes sought by some countries at the NSG meeting in Vienna recently.

Dr Kakodkar reiterated that any change sought by countries in the NSG to the agreement should be within the parameters that have already been agreed upon and not outside it. ''We are looking at complete, clean exemptions, without additional conditions,'' he added.

UNI VK SR SY NS1950