India reacted strongly to the remarks made by US State Department spokesperson, Tom Casey that New Delhi should impress upon the visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to suspend his country’s uranium enrichment activities and meet the requirements of the Security Council by complying with the other requirements regarding their nuclear programme. India conveyed to the US that neither India nor Iran needed external guidance on how to conduct bilateral relations1. Further, EAM Pranab Mukherjee stated that the US “could not arrogate to itself the right to determine whether Iran’s nuclear programme was peaceful or not” and added that the task should be left to the IAEA2.

The UPA-Left Committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal is scheduled to have its next meeting on May 6. The last meeting of the committee took place on March 17 when the government briefed the Left allies on negotiations regarding safeguards conducted with the IAEA. The Left parties have conveyed to the government that they would need to study the draft IAEA safeguards agreement before taking any stand on the same3.

• 1. “India rejects US advice on Iran,” BBC, April 23, 2008, at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7362177.stm
• 2. “Leave it to the IAEA, says Pranab,” The Hindu, April 24, 2008, at http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/24/stories/2008042450050100.htm
• 3. “UPA-Left panel meet on May 6,” The Hindu, April 24, 2008, at http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/24/stories/2008042459571200.htm