The negotiators from India and the United States have signed the much-debated 123 agreement. The Cabinet Committee in India has also given approval on the agreement. India is hopeful that Indian demands have been covered in the agreement. But, the way forward is still has some hurdles as the US lawmakers have reportedly warned the US administration of the ‘discrepancies’ in the 123 agreement.

The US lawmakers have taken note of the media reports that the US has accepted the Indian demands for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel under civilian nuclear deal with India.

According to the report, at least 23 Congressmen-led by Democratic lawmaker Edward Markey have sent a letter to President George Bush and expressed their concern that perhaps US may have given up to India’s demands in the agreement.

Edward Markey said that the US Congress had ratified the Hyde Act last year for settling minimum conditions that must be met for nuclear deal with India. There should be the non-negotiable restrictions on such cooperation because these conditions and restrictions were not optional or advisory in nature.

Markey later warned US President by saying that if the 123 agreement should not go deliberately against the will of Congress in a practice to circumvent the law passed by the US Congress. Otherwise, the final approval for this deal will be jeopardized.

The lawmakers have clearly written in the letter that there should be the necessity of enduring by the legal boundaries set by Congress for nuclear cooperation. The agreement for nuclear cooperation would come to Congress for approval. If there would be any inconsistencies in the agreement, the congressional approval would go into doubt.

On the other hand, they also questioned over India’s growing economic and military ties with as a major factor that may endanger Congressional approval of the deal.

The letter clearly stated that the President cannot re-write laws in a closed-door negotiation session with any foreign government. He has to get approval from the Congress before any nuclear deal with India.

India will have to negotiate a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency now to make the deal operational. On the other hand, the US government would try to obtain consensus agreement from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to re-write the guidelines.

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