Nuke deal debate in LS tomorrow

The Lok Sabha will debate the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal on November 28 in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The date has been fixed on the Left parties' insistence that the prime minister should be present in the House during the discussion as the debate will be centred around his assurances to Parliament last year.

The debate was earlier planned for November 27 but had to be postponed as Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee was not available.

The Left parties have made it clear that their main aim is to show that the UPA government's pursuit of the agreement doesn't enjoy the support of the majority in Parliament.

"We will place our point of view in the House and try to show that the majority doesn't favour the deal," said CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.

The Left parties have also made it clear that the initial phase of the IAEA negotiations will have nothing to do with the outcome of the debate. "The two things (debate and negotiations) are separate matters," said Yechury.

Meanwhile, India, which has completed the first round of talks on country-specific safeguards with the IAEA in Vienna, will hold the second round in ten days, Department of Atomic Energy sources said today.