New Delhi: Faced with attack from Left allies and Opposition BJP over the new US law on nuclear deal, the Government yesterday (Dec 12, 2006) told Parliament that it contains certain 'extraneous and prescriptive' provisions but said concerns over these are expected to be addressed in a separate agreement with Washington.

Making a suo motu statement in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee asserted that no external 'interference' will be allowed in the country's strategic programme which will remain insulated from outside 'scrutiny'.

He virtually ignored BJP's demand that the US law in its present form be rejected as he made it obvious that negotiations on the 123 agreement, which will make the Indo-US deal operational, will continue.

"We will not allow external scrutiny of or interference with the strategic programme," he said.

 "We fully expect' the July 18, 2005 and March two joint statements to be 'reflected' in the 123 agreement," he said.

He said the Bush Administration has categorically assured India that the legislation passed by the Congress "explicitly" authorised civil nuclear cooperation with India "fully consistent" with the July 18, 2005 agreement and the March two, 2006 Separation Plan.

The July 18 deal reached in Washington between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George W Bush seeks to end over three-decade long nuclear isolation of India targeted by technology-denial regimes.

Under the Separation Plan, India has offered to put 14 of its 22 nuclear reactors under IAEA safeguards.