N-deal: Much-awaited debate this week

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited discussion on the Indo-US nuclear deal is scheduled to take place in Lok Sabha this week which is likely to see BJP and Left parties on the same side in attacking the UPA government.
   
Last week, the Congress and the BJP were seen on the same side in attacking Left parties, especially the CPI(M), during debate on Nandigram in Parliament.
    
Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi has already said the debate is scheduled in the Lower House on Tuesday.
    
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will reply to the debate on the nuclear deal.

The government was ready for an early debate on the matter but the Opposition had insisted on the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the discussion.

During that time, the Prime Minister was to go abroad.

The debate on the deal will take place at a time when the government has approached the IAEA for India-related nuclear safeguards after the Left okayed the move.
   
The Left, providing crucial outside support to the Congress-led coalition, is a consistent critic of the deal and has warned the government against operationalising it.

Several US leaders, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, had met senior leaders of the BJP which is also not in favour of the deal.

The saffron party leaders included L K Advani and Rajnath Singh.