Stand on Indo-US Nuke Deal vindicated, claims Yechury

Hyderabad, Sep 3 (UNI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today asserted that its opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal was vindicated in the wake of the 'latest revelation of a secret letter by the US media'.

CPI(M) Poli Bureau member Sitaram Yechury told the press a leading US newspaper printed the '26-page letter written by US President to the US Congress, kept secret for nine months, imposing conditions on nuclear fuel supply to India'.

The US President's note, released to the media by US Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Howard Berman, purportedly said the US would stop supplying nuclear fuel if India conducted a nuclear test.

This was in gross violation of the assurance given to Parliament by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stating India was free to hold nuclear tests under the 123 Agreement between the two countries.

''As a result, we have been opposing the (123) Agreement between India and US right from the beginning,'' Mr Yechury said after meeting UNPA Convenor and TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu here this evening.

''Our stand has been vindicated(in the wake of leak in the US media of the secret letter),'' he claimed.

UNI BR/DB PK RAI2122