But Indian ambassador Ronen Sen pointed out that any technology derived through the proposed civilian nuclear agreement with the United States would not be used in New Delhi's nuclear arms program.

"I don't think the criticism that this agreement has been geared to further augment (India's) strategic nuclear program holds water," Sen told a news conference.

"So that program is going to continue irrespective of whether you have this agreement or you don't have this agreement," he said.

Sen said India's nuclear arms program "won't require any outside assistance," adding that it was based on indigenous technology developed since the 1950's.

"We have not obtained them through covert means from third countries or with covert agreements with third countries," he explained.

Officials from the United States and India are racing to finalize a civilian nuclear agreement ahead of US President George W. Bush's visit to New Delhi next month.

It centers on a complex plan under which India has to separate its civilian and military nuclear programs. Those declared civil would have to be placed under international safeguards.

Among concerns of some US nuclear scientists is that India wants to exclude its "fast breeder" reactors from international safeguards.

They contend that any supply of foreign nuclear fuel to India would still free-up Indias existing capacity to produce plutonium and highly enriched uranium for weapons and allow for rapid expansion of Indias nuclear arsenal.

Sen said that the debate over the US-India civilian nuclear deal had been "hijacked" by non-proliferation theologians in the United States and in India by those rallying under the banner of self reliance.

Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed on the basic outline of the civil nuclear cooperation initiative in Washington in July last year, and the two countries hope to seal an agreement before Bush's visit.

The bilateral deal would give India access to civilian nuclear technology it has long been denied for conducting nuclear tests and refusing to sign on to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

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