However, in the same breath, the IAEA chief made it clear that he was not batting for the Indo-US nuclear deal but was “batting as a friend of India” to not only give it access to fuel and technology which it is “entitled to” but also ensure India is “regularised” and “integrated” as a “full partner of the nuclear body.” He said “India cannot be an outsider” in the efforts on “elimination of all forms of nuclear weapons”. “I cannot see how this can happen without India being in the centre of the nuclear body.”

In fact, later in a press conference ElBaradei said: “It is just about time when India is free from restrictions imposed since 1974 to be able to interact freely in nuclear technology market both as a recipient and a supplier in the nuclear field”.

In his interpretation, India is a nuclear weapons state. “It doesn’t make much difference whether this was de facto or de jure. ElBaradei, while outlining on what the entire process entails said that this was “standard procedure” involving “standard documents” that just need to be “tailored to make them India-specific”.

FLIP-FLOP on N-DEAL

The shift

• Aug 11: I told (CPM’s Karat, CPI’s Bardhan) it’s not possible to renegotiate the (nuclear) deal. I told them to do whatever they want to do, if they want to withdraw support, so be it.” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

• Aug 14: Our govt entered into this agreement after tough negotiations. It fulfils all assurances that Prime Minister has given repeatedly in Parliament: Sonia to CPP

... contd.