A frustrated and angry America Inc believes it has been let down by Delhi after all of its lobbying to push through the deal in the US Congress, reports Aziz Haniffa in Washington, DC.
'Decisions on nuclear power have so far been taken by a small select group, primarily interested in profiteering from their actions, stating 'secrecy' as necessary from the national security point.' 'This argument is false, because we are dealing with the 'civilian' nuclear power sector, which is open even to the IAEA,' says Dr A Gopalakrishnan, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
L K Advani on Thursday said he would have no objection to the signing of the much debated nuclear deal with the United States if it was renegotiated to allow the option of further nuclear testing.
US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns will resign, a senior US official said on Friday.
The influential Indian-American community has swung back to action to push the N-deal ahead.
An authoritative and well-connected strategic affairs journal in China has come out with a prompt independent comment on the progress in the N-deal.
Emphasising that the India-US nuclear agreement is in the interest of both the countries, Richard Boucher, the top official in charge of South and Central Asia, hoped that the deal will continue towards implementation.
"The protest by the Left is a reflection of their ideology. It is inappropriate," Nath said in Chhindwara, his Lok Sabha constituency.
The nuclear-deal-in-the-making with the US has forced the government into a firefighting mode not only domestically, but also internationally, where it is working overtime to avoid straining relations with the key long-time ally -- Russia.
"Stronger economic, scientific, diplomatic, and military cooperation between the US and India is in the national interest of both countries and reflects our increasingly close relationship with this important democratic ally," Ranking member on the House of Foreign Affairs Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, said.
India and the United Kingdom have agreed on the text of a landmark civil nuclear agreement and a formal pact may be signed within a week, Britain's Business Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson announced on Thursday. "The civil nuclear deal text has been agreed to and it will be signed soon, may be within a week after ministerial approvals," Lord Mandelson told a joint press conference with Commerce Minister Anand Sharma.
In the wake of the movement in recent days with speculation rife that Prime Minister Singh is willing to go ahead with the deal even if the Left allies in the coalition withdraw their support, the Bush administration -- which some perceived was a totally unrealistic statement, but which sources said was consequent to indications from New Delhi that there would be movement on the deal from its current moribund status -- vowed to work to complete the deal.
President Musharraf was speaking to The New York Times.
Scotching speculation about early polls, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has made it clear that the survival of the government was more important than the Indo-US nuclear deal and the Left parties will have to be taken on board. He ruled out the possibility of a minority government signing the nuclear agreement, saying the US was not ready for it.
Asked if there was a 90 per cent chance of hope of an agreement, Singh replied, "I certainly hope that," adding that an agreement would be a "great contribution" of Bush "to ending India's isolation from the world nuclear order."
Stressing that there is nothing secretive about the Indo-US nuclear deal, a senior Congress leader said the prime minister is ready to face Parliament before the deal is operationalised.
Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar on Tuesday expressed optimism about clinching an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency and implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal.
President George W Bush said he is "pleased" with outgoing Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns for agreeing to continue to handle the "historic" Indo-US civil nuclear deal in which Washington has been making "progress" under him.
Under the deal, to be ratified by the US Congress, Washington will lift sanctions on dual-use technology trade with India for which New Delhi will have to separate its civilian and military nuclear establishments.
Rhodes remarks on India came in response to a question about why some countries like China are opposing India's membership in the 48-member NSG.
The message is said to have been conveyed to a small group of top Indian-American community leaders on Monday by senior White House officials, a source privy to the goings on told PTI. "We are confident that just like last time, the bill will be passed by a substantial majority. With that a new era will begin for India's nuclear programme," the officials were quoted by the source as saying.
"It is important for us. It is important for the government of India. And we are determined to make it happen."
Congressman Burton had led a delegation to India.
In its bid to offset the impact of Indo-US nuclear deal, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will take up the acquisition of nuclear fuel technology from China during his forthcoming visit.
India's failure to implement the civil nuclear deal with the United States can lead to questions over its trustworthiness and may have an impact on New Delhi's quest for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has said.
Strongly defending the India-United States nuclear agreement, she said that there was a need to keep a certain pace in power generation if the pace of the country's progress has to be maintained. Gandhi added that there were certain elements in the country who were acting as impediments in the nation's progress and they need to be given a befitting reply. "Such elements are not only enemies of the Congress, but enemies of peace and development." she said.
Reports (not denied by India) that the USA had 'for the first time provided real-time details to their Indian counterparts on the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of a PLA incursion' into Tawang at the LAC in December 2022, helping India thwart China's expansionist designs, show how operationally effective the USA-India friendship has become on the ground. A engaging excerpt from Sreeram Chaulia's must-read new book, Friends: India's Closest Strategic Partners.
Chances of the Indo-US nuclear deal going through the Congress this month got a boost Friday with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives and a leading Democrat hoping that the 30-day rule for the legislation to be considered will be waived. Pelosi also said that the deal has the support of the House and hoped it can be considered before the Congress session ends on September 26.
CPM leader Sitaram Yechury disagreed with recent opinion poll findings that the Left would receive a drubbing if the country went to polls on the nuclear issue.
They said that India and the US should put on a fast track the negotiations with the Nuclear Suppliers' Group and the International Atomic Energy Agency and pave the way for signing the pact.
As the prime minister prepares to make a speech about the deal in the Parliament on Monday, what do you think the Left should do?
Contending that the Left has the right to express its views, he said, "I am hopeful the deal will come through and if not, it will be unfortunate for the country." To a question, he also said, "Anyway, we all are preparing for elections."
More than a year after Indo-US civilian nuclear deal was signed, a Congressional report has said that several steps, including submission of required certifications by President Barack Obama, remain to be taken by both the countries before American companies can begin nuclear trade with New Delhi.
Left leaders said the statement makes it very clear that the government will not operationalise the deal till the committee's findings are known
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