India won't let fly with Prithvi, US assured

Minister of State for External Affairs Saleem Shervani has sought to allay US fears over India's short-range Prithvi missiles, vehemently denying its reported induction into the country's military structure.

Talking to the media on Tuesday night after discussions with Congressmen in Washington, he expressed surprise at the United States making an issue over the movement of a small number of Prithvis from their production site in Hyderabad to a storage facility in Jalandhar at least three months ago.

The minister said the storage of missiles was purely a military-administrative decision, but its deployment would require prior approval at the political level. In this context, he reiterated Prime Minister I K Gujral's assertion that Prithvi missiles had not been deployed in any part of India.

The controversy arose early this month after news reports, apparently based on leaks from highly placed US officials, claimed Prithvi missiles had been moved to Jalandhar, 112 km from the country's border with Pakistan. Islamabad had publicly voiced concerns over these reports.

Shervani made it clear that India had no hostile intentions towards Pakistan and wanted peace with all its neighbours.

The minister said he disliked the general tendency in the United States, particularly among its law-makers to equate India with Pakistan, ignoring sharp differences in their democratic traditions.

He said Indian democracy had taken firms roots over the last 50 years while Pakistan has got a stable government only now, which New Delhi considered a healthy development. He recalled having fought four elections back home in which Pakistan had never been an issue. On the contrary, the Pakistanis had always made India a political issue in their domestic politics. He wanted the US to put India and Pakistan in proper perspectives in making any assessment of the region.

Shervani said he also exchanged views with Congressmen over the proposed amendment in the US House, seeking to deny American development assistance to India.

Most members he met appeared to be against the anti-India move and were confident that if the matter came up for discussion during the Foreign Aid Bill, it would be defeated, the fate it met last year.

The minister was accompanied by Ambassador Naresh Chandra, Foreign Secretary-designate K Raghunath and Joint Secretary (America) Alok Prasad.