India votes against UN draft resolution on nuke pact

NEW DELHI - India has voted against the provisions of draft resolutions calling for signing of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), ruling out the possibility of joining the treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state, local media reported on Saturday.

A UN Assembly committee Friday adopted a resolution in New York calling on all countries which have not signed NPT to sign it as non-nuclear weapon states.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India and Israel voted against it while 164 others voted in favor.

In its explanation of the vote, India said it cannot accept the call to accede to NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state, said Press Trust of India.

"India's position on the NPT is well-known. There is no question of India joining the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state. Nuclear weapons are an integral part of India's national security and will remain so, pending non-discriminatory and global nuclear disarmament," said Indian delegation at U.N. in a statement.