I / Mumbai August 20, 2007
| The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) constituents, which met this evening, have decided that the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement will be made operational only after the US government passes it, according to a television report. The consituents were open to forming a core group including the Left leaders. They also backed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue, while offering a dialogue. PTI adds: A brief statement issued after a two-hour meeting of the UPA allies preceded by a meeting of the Congress Core Group said, "the constituent parties of UPA have full faith and confidence in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh." "We are confident that they will be able to address all legitimate concerns, including those voiced by our Left colleagues on issues of national interest," it said, apparently referring to the issues raised by the Left parties. The statement, read out by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, came at the end of hectic day-long consultations to break the impasse caused by the Left's threat of "serious consequences" if the government went ahead with the deal amidst indications that compromise may be worked out in the form of a panel that will address specific objections and concerns on the nuclear deal. The panel may include those from the government who have worked on the deal and others including Left representatives. |
