To Blunt the Left’s charge of “breach of privilege” by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the UPA Government will on Monday field External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to make a statement in Parliament on India’s civilian nuclear cooperation agreements with US and France, official sources told 'The Indian Express' on Sunday.

Sources said Mukherjee’s statement, expected to be made at noon, will be an attempt to set the record straight that the Government has not committed any breach of privilege. Left parties are expected to raise the issue of “breach of privilege” by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as they have already moved separate privilege motions in both the Houses. Left MPs had already forced an adjournment last Friday.

An official source said the statement, which will be made by the External Affairs Minister in both Houses of the Parliament, will be consistent with the Prime Minister’s commitment on July 22 when he had said that he would come back to the Parliament before “operationalising” the agreement.

The UPA Government, through this detailed statement, will look to dispel concerns that continue to be voiced even after India obtained a clean NSG waiver and signed framework agreements with US and France.

The statement will provide details of the developments on the nuclear front since it won the trust vote on July 22.

Sources said Mukherjee’s statement will refer to President George W Bush’s presidential statement on October 8, as he signed the 123 Agreement into a law. This statement, sources said, is significant since Bush, while signing the agreement into a law, had responded to the two key concerns of the Indian side: the fuel supply assurances and reprocessing rights.

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