Washington: The India-US nuclear deal appears to be in trouble.
The July 18 agreement between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush was intended to end India's nuclear isolation in return for some safeguards from New Delhi.
But differing expectations on how the deal ought to unfold are now out in the open.
Washington is insisting that India must first announce a credible plan for separation of its civilian and military nuclear facilities.
Only then will it approach the US Congress for legislation to make nuclear allowances for New Delhi.
US Ambassador David Mulford has said that separation of nuclear facilities by India would be the evidence for the US Congress that New Delhi is fulfilling its part of the deal.
But New Delhi is insisting on reciprocity in the sequencing of steps.
It says that the separation of nuclear facilities in India and the reference to the US Congress must be a simultaneous process.
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