Let’s wait for final Bill, will tell House before we sign: PM

‘‘The House of Representatives has taken up the Bill and there is a Senate Bill and when there is a difference between the two bills, there will be a conference…I cannot say I can predict what the US legislative process will be,’’ he said replying to a question on the deal in the House.

The Prime Minister’s statement comes at a time when the Left and the BJP have got together to claim that the US was shifting goalposts and the legislation is against India’s interests.

Assuring the House that India will not compromise on the parameters agreed to in the July 18 statement, Singh admitted that in the Bills before the two Congressional panels, ‘‘there were elements which are of concern to us’’ and said adequate representations have been made to the US government.

Singh said he had discussed this with US President George W Bush in St Petersburg and he has an assurance that ‘‘US administration will do all it can to see that the parameters, the goalposts of July 18, are not tampered with.”

“If the US legislation process…is not in tandem with our end…then it will be a deterrent,” he said adding, “we have not signed anything…let the US process be completed.” The Prime Minister said he take Parliament into confidence before entering into the final agreement.

Singh denied former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha’s argument that the goalpost has been shifted. ‘‘The goal post is there,’’ the Prime Minister said.

Later, NDA and SP members staged a walkout saying the PM’s assurance on the deal was not satisfactory.

SP member Amar Singh was joined by NDA members in demanding a resolution on the deal. ‘‘All members, barring the Congress, want to know whether the government will bring in a resolution on the issue,’’ Amar Singh said as he was joined by other NDA members including former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh and Sushma Swaraj.