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Press U.S. to amend Hyde Act, says SP

Lucknow: After backing the UPA government on the New Delhi-Washington nuclear deal, the Samajwadi Party on Monday said India should press the United States to amend the Hyde Act passed by the American Congress or enact a law in Parliament to counter its provisions.

“There are certain provisions in the Hyde Act which will create hindrance to going ahead with the nuclear deal. We request the Centre to press the U.S. for making certain amendments in the Hyde Act before finalising the deal or present a Bill in Parliament to make an Act in India also,” said a political resolution released here by the Samajwadi Party.

“The Act is necessary to prevent other countries from creating hindrance to India’s strategic programme in the name of atomic energy production for the people.”

The resolution said that like coal, petrol, gas, water and air, development of nuclear energy was the need of the hour as it was the safest for environment, keeping in mind global warming.

“It was an achievement of the country that the IAEA and developed countries are ready to supply nuclear reactor and fuel for atomic energy to India even when India was not party to NPT and CTBT,” the resolution said.

“The SP leadership had certain objections to certain clauses of the nuclear deal but after an assurance by the UPA government we felt that opposition to the deal was not fair,” it said, congratulating the national executive on its decision to back the government. — PTI

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