SP turns down UPA invite to discuss

The Samajwadi Party may just get an invitation from the UPA-led Centre to discuss the Indo-US nuclear deal which dominated Parliament on Wednesday, a senior Minister has said. SP leaders, however, say the party is in no mood to have a discussion outside the House.

The move comes a day after the SP moved a motion in the Rajya Sabha demanding a discussion on reports of an alleged 8216;8216;mole8217;8217; in the PMO during PV Narasimha Rao8217;s tenure. The motion raised several questions ranging from PM Manmohan Singh8217;s reply to the Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh, who first revealed the presence of a 8216;8216;mole8217;8217; in his book, Call to Honour, to whether the present nuclear deal was scripted in Rao8217;s time, as SP members believe.

A senior party leader today said: 8216;8216;We would like to know if the country has already been compromised by the US on the nuclear issue because of the 8216;8216;mole8217;8217; and did the nation involuntarily committed itself to the US at that time. We want some clear answers on the Indo-US nuclear deal signed by PM Manmohan Singh.8217;8217;

The SP says it does not accept the government8217;s invitation for a discussion outside the House and insists it will puruse its demand for a debate on the floor of the House.