Thursday, January 26 2006 15:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: : Describing Ambassador David C Mulford's comments on the Indian vote over Iran at next week's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting as 'outrageous', former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today (Jan 26,2006)accused the US diplomat of denigrating his host country with his remarks.

Ahead of the IAEA meeting on the Iran issue, Mulford told sourcesin an interview yesterday that if India did not vote against Tehran's nuclear programme, the fallout on the Indo-US nuclear deal in the US Congress would be 'devastating.'

"The statement of the US Ambassador to India is outrageous. It violates all diplomatic norms. Ambassadors are not required to make personal remarks denigrating their host country," Vajpayee said in a statement here.

He also accused the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government of issuing an inadequate reaction to Mulford's comments.

"The reaction of the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ambassador's remarks is routine. It hardly expresses the indignation of the people of the sovereign and independent Republic of India," the former Prime Minister said.

In its reaction to the Ambassador's comments, the External Affairs Ministry yesterday said the Indian stance at the IAEA meeting next month would be based on 'independent Judgement' and 'national interests'.