Will quit when party tells me: Ahamed

He said his party had some grave concerns about the nuclear deal. According to him, the party’s main worry is whether the deal would lead to interference from the US. “Our party is clear that there should be no dilution of our independent foreign policy, and I have conveyed our concern to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi,” he said.

Ahamed said a strong section of his party was not comfortable with the deal. “They fear that the US has a tendency of interfering and influencing policies of the countries and it can do the same regarding India through the nuclear deal,” he said.

But he maintained that his party would continue its support to the UPA Government which had done so much for the minority community.

Ahamed said the relations between the Congress and the IUML were too strong to be weakened by a single issue like the nuclear deal.

However, sources said the IUML might take the decision to withdraw Ahamed after the Parliament voted on confidence motion.

The Congress leadership has pressed its leaders into action to avert such a situation. Both Congress president and the PM have sought meetings with Ahamed.

Sonia is understood to have asked senior party leaders including A K Antony and Wayalar Ravi to convince IUML supremo Panakkad Mohammadali Shihab Thangal that all the concerns raised by the party would be addressed.

It is understood that the Congress has asked the IUML leadership to allow Ahamed to continue at least till the deal gets operationalised.