Cracks appear but Cong lays down party line for meeting: we back PM

Indicating that the next government in New Delhi and a new US Administration could consider the deal in a new political context, Khursheed said: “I can’t understand why the (nuclear) deal cannot be re-negotiated at a later stage, maybe one year down the line”.

Aiyar, on the other hand, questioned the logic that nuclear energy is the answer to India’s growing energy requirements and dubbed it as “uni-dimensional thinking”. He, in fact, talked of a “new paradigm” where “foreign policy and oil diplomacy go hand in hand”.

These comments were in contrast to AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh’s assertion today that the Congress was firmly behind the PM on the deal. “The Congress is firmly behind the Prime Minister. We are hopeful of finding a solution,” he told reporters.

For Aiyar, however, Pakistan today is a good example where Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi holds the twin portfolios of foreign affairs and petroleum and natural resources. He said it’s high time that “we considered such an option in India.” Aiyar’s reference was to the India-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline that he has long held as a counter-measure to the Indo-US nuclear deal, an argument echoed by the Left in its attack on the Government where it said that the talk of uranium shortage was merely a cover to push strategic ties with the US.

The two leaders also questioned “the lack of any debate” in the party over the nuclear deal. Said Khursheed, who was the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president when the idea was initially floated: “We should have weighed the pros and cons of the deal. But it appears that one can have a meaningful dialogue (over any issue) only by becoming a dissident,” he said.

Added Aiyar: “There was no discussion over the deal in the party. For a brief period, I had managed to put India on the world energy map. They should have talked to me over this. But this never happened.”

On the question of the Left withdrawing support to the Government over the nuclear deal stalemate, Aiyar suggested the proposed extended Congress Working Committee meeting “must discuss the ideological issues facing the party” in the context of the ongoing political crisis.

Meanwhile, top Congress sources said efforts on the part of some UPA partners to broker a compromise between the government and its Left allies had failed to make any headway.

In fact, the Left has decided to convene meetings of its main decision-making bodies soon after tomorrow’s meeting to discuss the next course of action. While the CPI(M) Politburo will meet here on June 29, the CPI’s National Secretariat is scheduled to be held in the first week of July. The Central Secretariat of the All India Forward Bloc will also meet here on July three. The CPI’s National Executive is also scheduled to meet here on July 12 and 13.

The Central Committee, the highest decision making body of the CPI(M) during the party Congress recess, has already authorised the 15-member Politburo to take whatever necessary measures to see that the nuclear deal with the US is not operationalised.

The UPA allies, trying for a compromise on the premise that the government could give some assurance to the Left on not signing the 123 Agreement, have hit a wall with both the Congress and the Left. While the Left has been seeking an “explicit assurance” from the government, government sources rejected the idea of a pause after confirming the safeguards agreement.

“How can we give away so much by accepting IAEA safeguards if we don’t get anything in return, which would come only after getting NSG waiver? Moreover, can we get a waiver from the NSG and then tell the US ‘thank you very much, but we don’t want the deal with you’? It’s not possible. Confirming the IAEA safeguards agreement and not going ahead further will be detrimental to the country’s interest. Either we have the deal, or we don’t have it,” said a top Congress source.

With the PM slated to go to Japan only on July 7, sources said there was no immediate urgency to reach a decision at tomorrow’s meeting. In case the UPA and Left wanted more time to discuss existing proposals, another meeting could be scheduled. However, much of this would depend on discussions through the day which will be handled by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee who arrived from Australia tonight. Moreover, NCP leader Sharad Pawar will not be in Delhi for tomorrow’s meeting.

Ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, DMK leader T R Baalu met Congress president Sonia Gandhi as part of last-minute efforts to find a way out. “There is no imminent threat to the Government,” he maintained. Sources in the DMK said the briefing from party chief Karunanidhi was that the party will go with the Congress whatever political call it takes. “This is not the last elections the party will be collaborating with the Congress,” said a senior DMK leader who did not wish to be named.

Amid the uncertainty, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav arrived in New Delhi. He spoke to Karat and told him that a meeting of the UNPA had been convened on July 3 to formulate the front’s position on this issue.

“Even the final draft of the safeguards agreement has not been finalised. Let the Congress do it. We (UNPA) are meeting on July 3 and we will decide our strategy unitedly,” he said.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to India David Mulford today met Minister of State in PMO Prithviraj Chavan. However, sources said, the meeting was scheduled following a 10-day old request from the US Ambassador and was meant to discuss issues other than the nuclear deal.