NEW DELHI: Questioning certain statements from the US, India has made it clear that its rights and obligations on civil nuclear cooperation came only from the bilateral 123 Agreement and it was not bound by the controversial Hyde Act.

New Delhi's reiteration of its position came from External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha in the wake of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent statement that the Bush Administration would not support changes in the guidelines of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) sought by India that were in contradiction with the Hyde Act. In his eight-page statement, Mukherjee touched on relations including with China, Pakistan and other neighboring countries.

"The Hyde Act is an enabling provision that is between the executive and the legislative organs of the US Government," Mukherjee said in a suo motu statement on foreign policy-related developments. "India's rights and obligations regarding civil nuclear cooperation with the US arise only from the bilateral 123 Agreement that we have agreed upon with the US," he said.

The Minister referred to some statements by US officials regarding the applicability of the Hyde Act to the nuclear deal but did not elaborate. New Delhi has held that the Hyde Act contains prescriptive clauses that includes cessation of all civilian nuclear cooperation in case India tests a nuclear weapon and also restricts reprocessing of spent fuel. Rice had emphasized that changes in the NSG guidelines, required by India to open up international nuclear commerce, will have to be "completely consistent with the obligations of the Hyde Act".

New Delhi's reiteration of its position came from the Minister in the wake of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent statement that the Bush Administration would not support changes in the guidelines of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG) sought by India that were in contradiction with the Hyde Act. India has held that the Hyde Act contains prescriptive clauses that includes cessation of all civilian nuclear cooperation in case India tests a nuclear weapon and also restricts reprocessing of spent fuel.

Once NSG guidelines are amended, it will open the door to civil nuclear cooperation with various countries including Russia, France, UK and others, "with many of whom the necessary enabling bilateral agreements for such trade have been discussed and are in various stages of finalization", he said. In the statement, Mukherjee also touched on relations including with China, Pakistan and other neighboring countries.

Noting that Beijing has expressed "regret" on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh in January, he said the trip was to "assure our citizens that Government is mindful of their developmental needs, and is ready and willing to assist them through concrete projects". "The fact that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India has been clearly conveyed to the Chinese side by the Government," he said. Mukherjee said he would be visiting Beijing this year and his Chinese counterpart would also visit New Delhi.

On relations with Pakistan, he said India "stands ready to resume the composite dialogue process as soon as a duly constituted government is in place" in that country. Meanwhile, swiftly responding to his statement, CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said, "we cannot continue to support (government) if it did so (went ahead with the deal)." In the same vein, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said, "If the government proceeds in the direction of finalizing the deal, we will be free to decide our own course of action."