Govt downplays provisions in the Senate bill

NEW YORK: Govt today sought to downplay the controversial provisions of a bill cleared by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal with a rider that will prevent the transfer of nuclear equipment, materials or technology from the NSG countries or any other source in the event of New Delhi conducting a test.

"I would not like to comment on their internal process," Foreign Secretary Shivshanker Menon told reporters when asked for the Indian government's reaction to the Senate Committee's clearance of a bill with a rider.

"We are not going to comment on what they (Congress) do internally," he said. Menon also reiterated the government's position that "we have the right to (nuclear) test and they (US) have the right to react."