Nuke deal: Left may give nod for IAEA talks

In a softening of their hardline, the Left parties may give nod to the government to go to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for India-specific safeguards agreement needed to operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal.

The Left-UPA committee that has been constituted to go into the apprehensions voiced by the government's outside supporters may now meet on November 18 when it may clear the government's move to approach the international atomic watchdog but without committing anything in writing, Left sources said.

The thaw in the stance of the Left parties has come in the context of relentless government efforts to persuade the Left allies to take the next step in implementing the deal.

The sources said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a luncheon meeting with Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan last week had sought their nod for the government to approach IAEA for a safeguards agreement that would enable India to take some steps as part of implementation of the civilian nuclear deal with the US. They were clearly told that the government would not initial any agreement with the IAEA, and would come back to the Left on any progress in such negotiations.

The government has assured the Left parties that it would not go ahead without the committee's clearance on the issue. The government has already taken a position that operationalisation of the deal with the US would be subject to the findings of the Left-UPA committee.