On Sunday, in the clearest signal India has publicly sent, PM Singh's national security adviser M.K. Narayanan said 'any mishandling will impact negatively on us'.
Pointing out that India had the second-largest population of Shi'ite Muslims in the world after Iran, and that the two countries had civilisational ties, Mr Narayanan went on to note that Iran was a country with a major global footprint.
23 April 2008: Straits Times
Stopover comes as India and US differ over how to curb Iran's N-ambitions
By Ravi Velloor, India Bureau Chief
NEW DELHI - IRANIAN President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will make a brief stopover in India next week as New Delhi digs in its heels with the US, despite their emerging strategic relationship, on how to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Mr Ahmadinejad will spend just a few hours in the Indian capital, a transit stop on his way home from inaugurating an Iranian-funded hydropower project in Sri Lanka. But the time will be well-spent with a meeting scheduled with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
While Indian officials have put out word that energy cooperation will be high on the agenda, Teheran's nuclear intentions may take centre stage. The Iranian leader's trip comes amid renewed rumblings in strategic circles that Washington may be considering an attack on Iran over the Gulf state's nuclear ambitions.
Fears of such an attack, and its likely impact on oil supplies, sent crude prices soaring over the $100US mark earlier this year.
Even as they discuss an ever-widening list of things on their broadening strategic canvas, New Delhi has clearly signalled to Washington where it cannot go on Iran.
On Sunday, in the clearest signal India has publicly sent, PM Singh's national security adviser M.K. Narayanan said 'any mishandling will impact negatively on us'.
Pointing out that India had the second-largest population of Shi'ite Muslims in the world after Iran, and that the two countries had civilisational ties, Mr Narayanan went on to note that Iran was a country with a major global footprint.
'You need to deal with them diplomatically and with erudition,' he said, responding to a question at an IISS-Citi India Global Forum held in New Delhi.
The differing perceptions on Iran add to difficulties India is having in hewing too close to the US on several foreign policy issues, notably ties with key neighbours Pakistan, China and Myanmar.
Despite complaints from Washington, India has increased its linkages with the military junta in Myanmar.
After initially going soft on Tibetan exiles protesting against China, and facilitating a visit to the Dalai Lama by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, New Delhi has put a tight leash on the exiles.
Last week, it put in place tight security for the Olmypic flame's relay in New Delhi. It sealed off the area and deployed 21,000 police and paramilitary officers to ensure that the relay, which it shortened to less than 3km, passed without any incident that would embarrass China.
The Iran issue has a domestic angle. India has more than 140 million Muslims. In an election year, no political party wants to be seen as being on the side of an aggressor against a Muslim state.
Last week, India discussed its concerns over the Iran issue with Saudi Arabia when Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee visited the influential kingdom. Saudi Arabia is a key US ally and New Delhi and Riyadh now have a close dialogue with each other.
At the same forum at which Mr Narayanan spoke, former US ambassador Robert Blackwill noted that Iran could potentially be a thorny issue in US-India ties. India, he said, does not want Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. However, 'if India faces a binary choice of either that or an American military attack on Iran, it would choose to try to deal with a nuclear Iran, without the attack', he said.
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