Nuke deal may get red signal

NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee’s (CWC) endorsement of the Indo-US Nuclear Civilian deal notwithstanding, the deal could still come unstuck if the Left parties decide not to support it. The signals emanating from the Left camp are far from encouraging, with CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat demanding that the government scrap the deal at this stage itself.

The UPA government’s political managers have been working overtime in trying to bring the Left parties around. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a one to one meeting with senior CPI(M) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury before leaving for Japan and will hold further consultations after he returns to the country. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and the Congress President’s political secretary Ahamad Patel have also been conferring with the Left Front leaders with a view to bringing them around.

Government sources admit that while the Bill passed by the US Congress does not entirely meet all of India’s concerns, it does leave enough room for maneuver when it comes to negotiating the 123 agreements. Significantly, this view is not shared by some of its supporters, specially the 58 MPs belonging to the Left Front. The UPA’s political managers readily admit that unless the Left parties come on board , it will be very difficult to salvage the deal. “In political terms with 58 MPs they exercise a virtual veto,” admits a senior UPA leader.

The government is trying hard to bridge the gap with the Left parties on the issue, before Parliament debates the deal on December 18 and 19. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to intervene in the debate on the Indo US Civilian Nuclear deal in Parliament, but it will be left to Foreign Minister Parnab Mukherjee to reply to the debate and answer queries from the MPs.