PM discusses N-deal with Vajpayee, Advani

A day after the Left agreed that the UPA government could go ahead on talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Leader of the Opposition L K Advani at Vajpayee's residence.

This follows not just the Left's agreement on the deal, but Advani's own statement two days ago that the BJP refused to support the deal as the govern-ment did not take it into confidence.

The PM apparently asked after the ailing former PM even as Advani abandoned a BJP parliamentary board meeting to rush to Vajpayee's residence at around 6.45 pm.

The PM made the gesture after he heard Advani's remarks on board the aircraft flying him to Bangalore for B S Yeddyurappa's swearing in as the Karnataka chief minister.

According to sources in the Prime Minister's Office, the three leaders spoke "one on one" on the nuclear deal in order to remove any confusion or any complaints of neglect on the part of the government towards the principle Opposition party.