Click to play videoNew Delhi: The September session of the US Congress and the Bush administration is expected to pull out all the stops to get the nuclear deal through.
Sources told CNN-IBN that presidential determinations explaining India's compliance with the 123 would be issued within as early as 48 hrs. To further speed up the process, an India specific bill could be considered or Speaker of United States House of Representative Nancy Pelosy may ask other committees to waive off their hearings.
There is broad bipartisan support but America's nuclear ayatollahs are turning up the heat. The vocal critic of the deal Senator Howard Berman hinted that the going would not be smooth.
"I support cooperation on civilian nuclear energy with India. I oppose policies that would lead to a nuclear arms race or undermine proliferation standards,” says Berman.
He also asked the Bush administration to explain why there is so much of hurry in clearing the deal.
For the US administration the explanation is quite simple.. If US Congress delays or fails to ratify the deal, American companies may lose out on lucrative contracts now that India has the license to do nuclear business with anyone in the world.
"We have talked to the Indian government about not disadvantaging American companies and I think they appreciate American leadership,” says United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
India was quick to allay any such fears. New delhi said that it is ready to wait till the US Congress gives its approval.
“As far as the procedure is concerned, now we shall have to wait for the ratification of the 123 agreement between India and the US. After that we will be able to enter into the bilateral agreement with other countries,” says External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
But behind this bonhomie, a new diplomatic row is brewing between New Delhi and Washington.
The key issue is on fuel supply assurances, India believes the US or the Bush administration actually misstated the agreement reached between Washington and New Delhi to the US Congress in its letter and they are now seeking clarifications on what exactly they meant on fuel supply assurances.
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