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Nation's top scientists flay Indo-US N-deal
The former AEC Chairman Iyenger quipped, "Why does Govt support issues where US shows double standards?"
Top nuclear scientists and experts have come out in full support of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chief Anil Kakodkar's stance on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Kakodkar had said that putting the fast breeder reactor programme under IAEA safeguards would jeopardise the country's strategic interests.
Defending Kakodkar, former AEC Chairman PK Iyengar says, "We are a nuclear weapon country and it is for us to decide which reactors to put under IAEA safeguards."
"Clearly we should be able to tell the Americans that both BARC and Kalpakkam will be completely out of safeguards in addition to few others decided by the Government," Iyengar said.
"Why does this Government support issues where the US shows double standards?" he questioned.
"The much-hyped CTBT and FMCT also fizzled out as they did not suit them," the scientist quipped.
He said that even in the US, the separation of civilian and military programme was not very distinct. For example, Los Alamos and other strategic labs do research both on civilian and military strategies.
As a nuclear weapon state and a non-signatory to the NPT, "we should be able to decide our priorities and collective wisdom will help the Government," said former Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre AN Prasad.
