UPA gets safeguards, allows Left to tie its hands on n-deal

The turnaround on the part of the Government came a day after CPM leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury called on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi asking her to take a “political decision” and delay the operationalisation of the deal adding that, otherwise, the Left would be forced to withdraw support.

As per the understanding reached between the two sides at a two-hour meeting of the UPA-Left committee today, neither will go public about the decision to go slow to avoid any “public, acrimonious debate.” Accordingly, Left leaders did not go beyond saying that the Government would not hold any talks with the IAEA until October 22 when the committee is scheduled to meet again. The Left has also asked the UPA to explain the impact of the deal on the country’s foreign policy.

According to UPA sources, the turnaround happened because nobody wanted to foist mid-term polls on the country. “Delaying does not mean killing the deal. The nuclear deal is on. What we are concerned about is nuclear reactors and fuel, not about micro details like the process or timing to achieve it,” a senior Congress leader tried to put up a brave face. Adding that “informal talks” with the IAEA would go on.

At today’s meeting, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made yet another attempt to convince the Left that talks with the IAEA should be allowed to proceed and that the Government would show the text of the safeguards agreement to the Left before signing it.

The Left, however, rejected the proposal again with a senior Left leader warning that the ruling combine should not “sacrifice” the Government at the “altar” of the nuclear deal. At this point Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav intervened saying, “Where is the need of election?”

Mukherjee said that the NDA had completed six...