India to take up with US controversial letter on N-deal

India, US are elated that their N-deal has received endorsement from the NSG but New Delhi is taking up with the Bush Administration the State Department's controversial letter to US Congress.

India and the US are elated that their nuclear deal has received endorsement from the NSG but New Delhi is taking up with the Bush Administration the State Department's controversial letter to US Congress which stated that it would be denied fuel supplies if it conducted a nuclear test, highly placed sources said in New Delhi on Sunday.

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The 26-page letter, released in Washington on the eve of the crucial NSG meeting in Vienna, created a furore in India and led to complications in deliberations of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) which, however, subsequently granted the coveted waiver to New Delhi.

BJP and Left parties seized on the letter and accused the government of hiding "facts" and demanded an urgent session of Parliament to discuss the issue.

In the controversial disclosures before the NSG meeting, the US had made it clear that it would stop fuel supplies and other nuclear cooperation if India conducted a nuclear test.

The US position in the letter appeared at variance with New Delhi's interpretation of some key clauses of the Indo-US nuclear deal.

The letter contained "certain" issues, which India will take up with the US, the sources said, adding New Delhi has made it clear where it stands.

They said the 123 Agreement with the US is awaiting signature and now that the NSG waiver is through "we will go through the signature procedure."