Press pause button on nuke deal: CPI(M) to govt

NEW DELHI: The CPI(M) on Wednesday asked the UPA government to "pause" the Indo-US civil nuclear deal as the party's top brass met here to chart out its future steps amid a tense stand-off with the government on the issue.

"All we are asking from the government is to press pause button. It should properly evaluate all the implications before proceeding further," CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.

His comments came as the Central Committee, the party's top decision making body, began a two-day meeting to discuss the issue amid signals that the government was not prepared to heed its ultimatum on the contentious issue.

Party General Secretary Prakash Karat, who had earlier warned the government of serious consequences if it went ahead with the deal, submitted a report of the Politburo on the contentious deal before the Central Committee.

He is also understood to have apprised the Central Committee of his meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to iron out differences on the issue.

The Left party is maintaining that negotiations with IAEA on the safeguards agreement would bind India in perpetuity.

The Central Committee is expected to finalise the party's position on how far it could go in its opposition to the government in the critical matter and is likely to authorise the Politburo to take the appropriate decision at the appropriate time.