External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Left today that given the calendar for the nuclear deal, the government would soon have to begin negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the India-specific safeguards agreement.

But the Left stuck to its stand of no negotiation with the IAEA until the political committee submits its report and Parliament debates the deal. It later claimed it got the “impression” that the Government may not go ahead with the IAEA talks, making the next round of meeting slated for October 9 crucial.

“We cannot delay negotiations any more,” Mukherjee is learnt to have told Left leaders at the meeting of the UPA-Left committee on Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.

Apparently to placate Left’s concerns, a Department of Atomic Energy statement today said the DAE “is not holding any formal negotiations with the IAEA for drafting the safeguards agreement” and it had not received any initial draft from the agency.

Mukherjee is said to have told the Left that the UPA was prepared to show the text of the (safeguards agreement) to the Left before it is signed but it could not be delayed. Rejecting the proposal, Left leaders said it would be better to complete the deliberations by the committee and reach a conclusion before the government goes ahead with the talks.

Accordingly, the two sides decided to meet again on October 9 and, “if required”, again on October 14.

At the end of the over two-hour-long meeting, Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas said, “We have the impression that the Government will not go ahead with operationalising the deal till the committee files its report.”

... contd.