Thursday, January 26 2006 20:22 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: As Ambassador David C Mulford's comments on Indo-US nuclear deal kicked off a furore, Government today (Jan 26,2006) summoned the envoy and conveyed its strong displeasure, saying the remarks were 'inappropriate' and 'not conducive to building a strong partnership' between the two countries.

India's sharp reaction prompted the Bush administration to launch a damage control exercise, with the State Department in Washington explaining that the envoy was only reflecting 'very strongly-held feelings in the Congress and that

Washington would continue to engage New Delhi in the July 18 nuclear deal talks irrespective of its position on Iran.

In New Delhi, Mulford was summoned by Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran who bluntly stated that "The remarks made by him in an interview to sources were inappropriate and not conducive to building a strong partnership between our two independent democracies," External Affairs Ministry spokesman said in a statement here.

India's action came after Mulford, in an interview to sources yesterday (Jan 25,2006), said if New Delhi did not vote against Tehran's nuclear programme at the February 2 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)meeting, the fallout on the Indo-US nuclear deal in the US Congress would be 'devastating' and the Indo-US nuclear initiative will 'die' in the House.

Mulford expressed his 'sincere regrets', saying his remarks had been taken 'out of context' and that "It was not his intention to question India's right to take decisions on various issues on the basis of its own national interest", the statement said.