Left calls Centre for talks on N-deal

As government raised the pitch on the Indo-US nuclear deal in the face of Washington's insistence on a May deadline, the Left allies have also stepped up pressure by seeking an immediate meeting of United Progressive Alliance-Left committee on the issue by March 15.

Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat has written to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, government's key interlocutor with the allies on the deal, asking for immediate convening of a meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal by mid-March.

CPI leader D Raja, a member of the Committee, met Karat on Thursday morning and discussed the strategy on getting from the government its position on whether it wants to go ahead with the deal despite Left's opposition to it.

Sources said Karat's letter comes against the backdrop of reports that the text of the draft India-specific Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA is more or less ready and the Left parties would like to have a discussion on that.

The Left missive also assumes significance in the context of the American deadline of May for the 123 agreement to be sent to the US Congress.

It is necessary for the government to complete the IAEA agreement by March end so that they can proceed to the Nuclear Suppliers Group for getting a waiver to do nuclear commerce with other countries.

"The Americans have set a deadline for the government. The Left parties will also have to set a deadline for the government. The next meeting of the UPA-Left Committee will be crucial," a senior Left leader told PTI. 

The Left sees urgency on the issue after a spate of statements from the government expressing its virtual determination to go ahead with the deal.

They cite the reference in the President's address to joint sitting of Parliament, the external affairs minister's statement on the issue and the prime minister's remarks on Wednesday in Parliament making it clear that it was keen on having the 'broadest possible consensus' on the deal.

They also see in his remarks, praising former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as 'Bhishma Pitamah' and urging him to rise above narrow political interests to support the deal, as attempts to divide the Bharatiya Janata Party on the issue.

Raja took note of reports that the US has conveyed to India that the nature of the government -- whether minority or caretaker -- would be of no concern to it when the 123 agreement is signed with India and the stiff May deadline referred by visiting Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher.

He said the government should make it clear to the Left, whose support is crucial for its survival, whether it was keen on going ahead with the implementation of the deal brushing aside their opposition.

Raja said in that case, the Left parties would also decide their future course of action.

The Left-UPA Committee on the deal has not met since November when it gave the go ahead for negotiations with the IAEA on finalising a draft safeguards agreement on the condition that it would not be initialled or signed.

It was agreed that the draft would be brought back to the Committee for discussion and approval.