Source: The Sangai Express / PTI
New Delhi, October 22:
The operationalisation of the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal has been put on hold till the UPA-Left committee on the issue gives its findings even as there were persistent reports that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had let it be known that he was feeling let down by allies, remarks subsequently denied by the PMO and the Congress party.
"The members of the committee expressed the 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 that the Government should state whether the deal is off or on in the wake of 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 party, both calling the reports unfounded and baseless.
"I don't respond to baseless speculation," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters when asked about reports that the Prime Minister has threatened to quit during a meeting with some allies.
The allies, including RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, also denied the reports that were described as "unfounded and baseless" by Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan.
Mukherjee indicated that the Winter Session of Parliament may be convened slightly earlier than scheduled in view of the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and the opportunity could be utilised to discuss the nuclear deal.
Usually, the Winter Session is convened by mid-November and adjourns before Christmas.
The elections in the two states have been scheduled around mid-December.
At the UPA-Left meeting, the fifth in the series, Mukherjee initiated the discussions by bringing on record the statements made by the Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on the deal and elections at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit ten days ago.
This was done apparently to soothen the ruffled Left feelings on the deal over which they have serious reservations.
The discussions today centred around the implications of the Hyde Act on India's nuclear programme and its pursuit of an independent foreign policy.
The Left parties submitted a note on the Indo-US Defence Framework and the proposed Logistics Agreement.
The UPA is expected to reply to this note in "due course", Mukherjee said.