The government on Thursday stepped up efforts to bring around allies and the Left telling them that there were certain compulsions for it to go to the International Atomic Energy Agency for finalising the India-specific safeguards agreement and that time was running out.
But the government has also made it clear to the Left parties that it cannot make a public declaration, as demanded by the outside supporters, that they would not take the deal to the Nuclear Suppliers Group after pushing it through the IAEA.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who met allies including Sharad Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party), Lalu Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal) and Ram Vilas Paswan (Lok Janashakti Party), and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury, told them that the term of the current IAEA chief El Baradei is due to expire in August and India was not sure what attitude the new incumbent would adopt.
Therefore, the government said, that things would have to be moved in the IAEA in July and was seeking the consent of the Left and other allies, sources said. Prasad and Paswan said after the meeting that talks were on to find a solution. The Railway Minister said the government would last its full term.
But the Left parties have clearly told the government if it went ahead with the deal in the IAEA then it would not not
be any more in its hands and the United