UPA and Left set to clash on Nuke deal again

The two sides met in March last and decided that they would continue their discussions after the Congress of the two parties held in Hyderabad and Coimbatore recently.

Asserting that the Left opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal continued, he said the government was committed to consider the findings of this Committee while taking the next step on the nuclear deal.

When asked by reporters at a separate function, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee merely said “the date will be decided. What is there?”

After the last round of UPA-Left meeting on the issue, the Left parties and the government have been exchanging notes on several related issues, but no details are available.

Yechury refused to divulge details about the exchanges made with the government on the nuclear issue.

Asked whether the government had shown the contents of the draft agreement with the IAEA, he countered by asking “how can the government show us a draft”.

However, sources said the issues on which notes have been exchanged included issues relating to uninterrupted fuel supplies.

The Left parties have been opposing the 123 agreement on the grounds that conditions laid down by the American law – Hyde Act – would impinge on India pursuing an independent foreign policy and make it “subservient” to US strategic interests worldwide.

The Committee last met on March 17 when the government briefed Left parties on the talks at the IAEA meet in Vienna in February.

Set up last year to resolve differences between the government and Left allies over the nuclear deal, the Committee is expected to consider whether or not India should sign the safeguards agreement with IAEA.

At the last meeting, the Left parties had conveyed that they would study the draft agreement and spell out their position when the Committee meets again.

The Left parties have already made it clear that they stand by their objections to operationalisation of the nuclear deal.

The nod of the Left parties is crucial for the government to go ahead with implementation of the nuclear deal as they have warned against taking any steps in this direction without their approval of the agreement with IAEA.

Firming up the safeguards agreement with IAEA is a key step in the implementation of the nuclear deal with the US. India had concluded talks with IAEA on a specific draft safeguards agreement in the last week of February, more than three months after it began the process.