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N-deal on hold for now: Government tells Lef

Source:PTI
October 22, 2007

The operationalisation of the India-United States nuclear deal has been put on hold till the United Progressive Alliance-Left committee on the issue gives its findings.

There were also reports that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had let it be known he felt let down by allies.

The prime minister's office and the Congress subsequently denied the remarks.

"The members of the committee expressed hope that the issues currently before it would be addressed in an appropriate manner and the operationalisation of the deal will take into account the committee's findings," a statement read out by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said after a meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the deal.

The next meeting of the committee, which may be its last, will be held on November 16 when the panel is expected to come out with its findings.

The assurance was meant to allay the fears of the Left parties, which have been demanding the government state whether the deal is off or on in the wake of Dr Singh's statement recently that the agreement was not the end of life.

Earlier in the day, television channels reported that the prime minister told leaders of his party and the allies over a strategy session before the UPA-Left meeting that he felt let down by the allies' backing out on the deal which was cleared by the cabinet in which they had representatives.

This was strongly denied by both the PMO and the Congress, both calling the reports unfounded and baseless.

Source: PTI
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