As Left softens on N-deal, UPA presses fast forward

New Delhi: The Manmohan Singh Government is all set to approach the International Atomic Energy Agency or IAEA for negotiations on the Indo-US nuclear deal shortly after indications of softening of stand by the Left.

New Delhi is hard-pressed to hold discussions with the IAEA urgently for a safeguards agreement, as it is a key step towards operationalising the nuclear deal with the US.

Discussions with the IAEA have been on hold after the Left parties threatened to pull out of the government if the government goes ahead with the talks.

After much persuasion and back-door talks, the Left have softened its stand on the issue earlier this week and indicated that they may have no objection to such talks as long as the government doesn't commit anything in writing.

Buoyed by the change in the Left position, the government has reconvened a meeting of the UPA-Left committee on November 16 when a view is expected to be firmed up on the issue.

"The meeting of UPA-Left has been reconvened on November 16. We hope a way out will be found at the meeting," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told journalists on Tuesday.

Sources suggested that the Left parties had agreed to let the government have negotiations with the IAEA for the India-specific safeguards agreement subject to the condition that the government would not initial any agreement with the international atomic watchdog.

The Left has made it clear that the government should come back to the committee on any steps that it proposes to take with the IAEA before actually going ahead with it.

CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said on Tuesday that the Left does not want the government's stability to be affected.

"Talks will go on, but whatever decision is taken in the Left-UPA committee will be the final decision. We do not want the government's stability to be affected. So we have told the UPA not to proceed on the deal," he said.

This marks a change in the stance of the Left parties which have so far opposed even negotiations, arguing that it would amount to operationalising the Indo-US nuclear deal which they have rejected.