Don't tie N-deal to N Korea, Iran

India on Thursday said its deal with the United States for civilian nuclear cooperation cannot be linked with North Korea's nuclear test or Iran's nuclear policy.

'The India-US nuclear understanding is based on its own merits with a view to addressing India's growing energy requirements. It cannot be linked either with North Korea's nuclear test or Iran's nuclear policy,' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

He said the Indo-US nuclear understanding enjoys broad bipartisan support, reflected in large majorities by which both Republicans and Democrats voted in favour of the bill to enable full civil nuclear energy cooperation.

'Out of 201 Democrats in the House of Representatives, 140 voted in favour of the bill. In the Senate, where the vote took place after the mid-term election, 32 out of 44 Democrats voted for it,' he said.