Left parties seek Mulford's recall

India may abstain from IAEA vote on Iran.

The Left and the BJP today took on the UPA government over a reported remark of US Ambassador to India David Mulford that India's nuclear deal with Washington could run into trouble if it voted for Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Top officials, meanwhile, said India might abstain from voting at the IAEA. The IAEA board is due to hold an emergency session in Vienna on Thursday to consider sending Iran to the U.N. Security Council for sanctions over its nuclear programme.

"We cannot vote with the US after his (Mulford's) comments. We're planning to abstain," a senior government official said on the condition of anonymity.

While the Left asked the government to seek Mulford's recall, terming his comment an "interference in India's internal affairs", the BJP said the Ambassador had "overshot his brief".

Also referring to Mulford questioning the Left's opposition to opening of the retail sector and liberalisation of FDI norms in banking and insurance, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said it was high time the government gave a serious thought to Mulford's "direct interference in the country's internal affairs" and demanded his recall.

Mulford had last week linked India's vote on Iran with the nuclear deal. The government then downplayed the issue but his recent questioning of the Left's stand on retail FDI has re-ignited the controversy.

"The government may have given the benefit of doubt the first time but he has committed the error again," Yechury said.

CPI leader D Raja also demanded Mulford's recall saying he had "crossed all limits" and his remarks were "outright interference" in India's internal affairs.

Demanding an all-party meeting on the nuclear deal and the Iran issue, BJP spokersperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Ambassador Mulford has grossly overshot his brief. We demand that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh clarify the terms of the nuclear deal to the nation".

The Congress, however, refused to be drawn into a debate.

"What needs to be done with regard to the Ambassador will be done," party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said.