By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : A week ahead of the Lok Sabha (Lower House) trust vote, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed confidence that the UPA coalition will win in the trial of strength triggered by the Indo-US nuclear deal which “will in no way impinge” on India’s strategic programme.
“The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the people of India understood the significance of the initiatives being taken by the UPA Government and endorse them,” said a brief note issued by PM’s media advisor after Singh’s meeting with senior television journalists.
In his first public comments after the Left parties withdrew support to the government, the Prime Minister dismissed allegations by the Left and the main opposition BJP that the IAEA safeguards agreement would compromise India’s strategic programme.
“The agreement will in no way impinge on our strategic programme, which is entirely outside the purview of the IAEA safeguards agreement,” he said.
Highlighting the opportunities for international cooperation in civil nuclear energy to meet the challenge of energy security and high technology development, Singh said the IAEA accord would enable India to cooperate in this sector with all the 45 members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
These include USA, Russia, France and China, he said adding concluding the agreements with IAEA and the NSG would end the era of nuclear apartheid against India.
Singh said India would never allow any extraneous interference in the conduct of its independent foreign policy. India would continue to seek good relations with all its Asian neighbours, he added.