India not US' 'client state': CPI

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New Delhi, April 24: : Sharply reacting to statements by American officials on Iran-India relations, the CPI asked the government to make it clear to the US that India was not its "client state" and demanded expeditious clearance to the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

Taking exception to remarks made by some American officials, party leaders C K Chandrappan said, "India is not a client state of the US and this should be made clear to Washington by the UPA government."

Asserting that the gas pipeline should not be delayed any further, CPI leader D Raja said the government should "take up the dialogue to a higher level and clinch the agreement" during the upcoming visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadnejad.

The CPI(M) had demanded on Wednesday that the US envoy in New Delhi be summoned by government to express "disapproval" of the "gross interference" by Washington in its relations with other countries.

Welcoming the government's stand in this regard, Raja said, "Government should have pursued this line from the beginning to resist US pressures." Referring to US Presidential poll campaign in which some candidates reportedly stated that Iran would be "wiped out", CPI MP Sudhakar Reddy said if an Iranian candidate had made such a remark about the US, then he would have been branded "terrorist number one."

On the May 6 UPA-Left meeting on the Indo-US nuclear deal, Raja said they would be briefed on the negotiations at the IAEA on India-specific safeguards agreement.