I feel embarrassed and let down: Manmohan

According to sources, the PM has told the allies and Congress leadership that he feels let down on developments on N-deal.

Under pressure from the Left parties to make clear whether the Indo-US nuclear deal is on or off, government on Monday said the operationalisation of the deal will take place in accordance with the UPA-Left committee8217;s findings.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made this clear after a meeting between leaders of the Left parties and the UPA coalition formed to go into the concerns of the allies on the nuclear deal.

The minister announced that the committee would meet again on November 16.

Reading out from a statement, Mukherjee said the deliberations in the committee were held in a constructive and cordial atmosphere.

He said the discussions covered the implications of the proposed Indo-US bilateral agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, including the implications of the Hyde Act on

India8217;s nuclear programme and its pursuit of independent foreign policy.

The Committee had before it further information provided by Left parties. The UPA will reply to them in due course. The members of the committee expressed the hope that the issues currently before it would be addressed in an appropriate manner and the operationalisation of the deal will take into account the committee8217;s findings, the statement said.

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But, according to sources, ahead of the meeting, the Prime Minster is understood to have told the allies and the Congress leadership that he feels embarrassed and let down by the recent developments relating to the nuke deal.

Recently almost all UPA allies favoured saving the government instead of going ahead with the nuke deal. The tough stand taken by the allies and the Left is reportedly causing embarrassment to the Prime Minister, who is showing keen interest in the implementation of the deal.

Monday8217;s meeting was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and representative from the DMK.

The meeting is the first after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told President George W Bush that there were 8220;some difficulties8221; with operationalisation of the deal. Singh has still not given up on the deal, saying the process to evolve a 8220;meaningful consensus8221; is still on.