What Sonia, Obama spoke about at their meet

The issue of operationalising the bilateral landmark civil nuclear deal and cooperation in multiple sectors between India and US were understood to have figured as Congress chief Sonia  Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met US President Barrack Obama in New Delhi.

A wide range of strategic affair issues came up for discussion including that of the threat of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and the two sides shared their assessments and concerns during the meeting, sources said.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and former commerce minister Anand Sharma were also part of Congress delegation that met Obama and his wife Michelle at ITC Maurya Hotel where they are staying.

The former prime minister underlined the importance of “inclusive and sustainable growth” for a society like India where larger number of people are still under the margin of subsistence and talked about “human face” of reforms, Sharma said.

Singh also underlined the need for “closer economic partnership” between the two countries.

Sharma said the meeting of the Congress delegation with Obama was “very positive” and the two sides discussed a wide range of issues for cooperation in bilateral, regional and international arena.

He said Obama acknowledged the contribution of the previous United Progressive Alliance government, headed by Singh, in the signing of the Indo-US nuclear deal.

India and the US had on Sunday broken the 7-year-old logjam in operationalising their landmark civil nuclear deal besides deciding to jointly produce military hardware including advanced unmanned aerial vehicles during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Obama.

Congress has reacted cautiously to the “breakthrough” in the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement, saying it would have to see the fine print on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed issues raised by the US within India’s legal framework and sought details as to how the difficulties were overcome.

The party has also sought to take credit for having initiated the deal when it was leading the government at the Centre at a time when BJP had opposed the move tooth and nail.

“Obama acknowledged the contribution of the UPA government, which scripted this agreement. We had made that decision despite risks involved. We had even risked our government then...We will look at the assurances given to both sides on the agreement that was signed in 2008 ending the nuclear apartheid to India,” Sharma said.

He added “it is a reaffirmation from our side for the commitment we have for consolidating bilateral and strategic partnership with the US.

Rahul Gandhi had not been able to attend the banquet hosted in honour of Obama by President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday.

After Obama had won a second term as US President in 2012, Sonia Gandhi had sent a congratulation message to him saying she firmly believes that in the times to come, India and the United States, being two largest democracies, will work together not only in the bilateral context but also for the larger good of the humanity.

In a letter to him, the Congress President had then also recalled her meeting with Obama during his India visit in November 2010, when he had addressed the Indian Parliament.