The Hindu Business Line : Left-Govt talks on nuke deal postponed

New Delhi, June 18 The crucial meeting between the Government and its Left allies on the Indo-US nuclear deal, slated for Wednesday, has been postponed to next week.

While the official reason for the postponement was that the External Affairs Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the 15-member panel, was occupied with the delegation of the visiting Syrian President, Mr Bashar al-Assad, sources said the Government was buying time to arrive at a consensus with the Left parties.

Indications are that the meeting is being rescheduled for June 25, even though there was no official confirmation. The Left leaders, who met here after the meeting with the Government was postponed, maintained that they stand opposed to the deal and said they have not yet been given a copy of the draft safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and, therefore, are not in a position to form an opinion.

The Left has refused to allow the Government to finalise the India-specific safeguard agreement with the IAEA as it believes that the move would put the nuclear agreement with Washington in “auto pilot mode”.

Mr Mukherjee, the Government’s key negotiator with the Left on the pact, had met the CPI(M) General Secretary, Mr Prakash Karat, twice in the last two days in a bid to end the stalemate, following which the Government can push forward the draft safeguards agreement with the IAEA.

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