New Delhi has been mulling over sending about 17,000 soldiers to Iraq since the United States made a request in early May, hoping to address the growing difficulties in replacing its forces with an international stabilisation force in the war-ravaged country.

While some of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's top aides seem to be leaning towards the US request, there has been stiff resistance from opposition groups and members of Vajpayee's Hindu nationalist BJP-led coalition, who argue that Indian troops must work only under the UN flag, not US-British command.

Prominent Muslims, too, have voiced their opposition to the deployment of Indian troops.

"I don't favour sending troops anywhere, leave alone Iraq," said Zafarul Islam Khan, editor of an Internet news magazine for Muslims, called milligazette.com.

"As a peace loving country, we should not be helping an occupation army. All the Iraqis are doing is resisting an occupation force," he said.

India's Muslim population is more than 130 million, or a little more than 12 percent of the total population.

Officials have said India is waiting for some clarification from Washington before committing troops to Iraq. This included the announcement of a timetable for the installation of a democratic regime in Iraq.

According to India's most prominent Muslim cleric, Syed Ahmed Bukhari based in New Delhi, Indian Muslims "are totally against deploying troops".

"The United States attacked Iraq to destroy weapons of mass destruction, which neither they nor the UN inspectors found.

"They killed so many people and destroyed so much (in Iraq). Even after achieving their so-called goal, the US troops are still there. If Indian troops join them now, they will be identified with the occupation force," Bukhari told AFP.

"If the government does this, we will protest against it."

Mohammed Syed Noori, general secretary of the Raza Academy, a socio-religious organisation based in western Bombay city, echoed Bukhari.

"The United States is inviting Indian and other troops to deal with the mess they have created," Noori said.

"It will be our troops who will be sacrificed to clear the mess they have created."

Casualties of Iraqis or Indian troops were "unacceptable", he said, adding "Iraq is a friend and a vast majority in India don't want our troops there. We hope the government will take note of our views and behave like a democratic government."

But Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, a Shia leader in the northern Indian city of Lucknow, said there was no harm in deploying Indian troops as "they are going to establish law and order".

"I have visited Iraq. The people respect Indians. If our troops kill criminals they will be welcome. A lot will depend on how they conduct themselves," said the Shia leader, who is also a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

Bukhari and Noori were of the view that any casualties suffered by the troops or Iraqis would have an impact on the BJP's election prospects.

Three states -- Delhi, Rajasthan in the west and the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh -- are due to go to the polls this November while national elections are due in 2004.

"If there are deaths, we will certainly raise this when they come asking for votes. Muslims will also note which are the parties who claim to be democratic and secular and yet supported this cause," Bukhari said.

"We will not be voting for the BJP but we will also not vote for those parties who supported this either," he said.

WAR.WIRE