Left refuses to blink on nuke stand-off
Although the Left agreed to stay engaged in negotiations - the UPA-Left panel is slated to meet again on October 22 - there was little likelihood of the feuding partners finding a meeting ground.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: There was no let-up in the crisis gripping the Centre with the Left on Monday refusing to give its consent for negotiations with the IAEA and the government indicating that it will not compromise the timeline that it has in mind for the operationalisation of the agreement.
Although the Left agreed to stay engaged in negotiations — the UPA-Left panel is slated to meet again on October 22 — there was little likelihood of the feuding partners finding a meeting ground.
The CPM, which is sticking to its calendar, has convened a meeting of its politburo on October 18 to decide on its next step. As the government is refusing to put off negotiations with the IAEA indefinitely, the Left is anticipating some moves from the government side in the coming days.
Government leaders, who ruled out any compromise on the deal, said it has already worked out the sequence for the completion of the deal — finalisation of an India-specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA secretariat; negotiations with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for exemptions from its guidelines; US Congress’ approval and approaching the IAEA board of governors for the approval of the “frozen text” of the safeguards.
But the Left, which enlarged the area of conflict on Tuesday by opposing the 123 agreement itself, said the country should not be tied down to a safeguards agreement in perpetuity when it did not have a commitment for uninterrupted fuel supply.
“We are not backing the 123 agreement. How can we support the government’s plan to approach the IAEA for the safeguards agreement?” the Left leaders asked Congress interlocutors. The Left also told the UPA leadership that in the present global political scenario, giving a corridor to the US would adversely impact India’s relations with its neighbours.
The government had another worrying development on Tuesday. The UPA allies, who enthusiastically backed the Congress in its confrontation with the Left over the nuclear deal, were getting uneasy over the prospect of an early election.
RJD’s Lalu Yadav and NCP’s Sharad Pawar are of the view that the deal is not a fertile issue for the poll turf. Although Mr Pawar has not publicly aired his views, his party is of the view that the government should not be sacrificed for the nuclear deal.
The Left, however, is unfazed and determined to face elections if the government goes ahead with the nuclear deal. “The ball in now in the government’s court. We will take the call after the October 22 meeting of the panel,” said one of the Left leaders.
Although the Left agreed to stay engaged in negotiations — the UPA-Left panel is slated to meet again on October 22 — there was little likelihood of the feuding partners finding a meeting ground.
The CPM, which is sticking to its calendar, has convened a meeting of its politburo on October 18 to decide on its next step. As the government is refusing to put off negotiations with the IAEA indefinitely, the Left is anticipating some moves from the government side in the coming days.
Government leaders, who ruled out any compromise on the deal, said it has already worked out the sequence for the completion of the deal — finalisation of an India-specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA secretariat; negotiations with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for exemptions from its guidelines; US Congress’ approval and approaching the IAEA board of governors for the approval of the “frozen text” of the safeguards.
But the Left, which enlarged the area of conflict on Tuesday by opposing the 123 agreement itself, said the country should not be tied down to a safeguards agreement in perpetuity when it did not have a commitment for uninterrupted fuel supply.
“We are not backing the 123 agreement. How can we support the government’s plan to approach the IAEA for the safeguards agreement?” the Left leaders asked Congress interlocutors. The Left also told the UPA leadership that in the present global political scenario, giving a corridor to the US would adversely impact India’s relations with its neighbours.
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The government had another worrying development on Tuesday. The UPA allies, who enthusiastically backed the Congress in its confrontation with the Left over the nuclear deal, were getting uneasy over the prospect of an early election.
RJD’s Lalu Yadav and NCP’s Sharad Pawar are of the view that the deal is not a fertile issue for the poll turf. Although Mr Pawar has not publicly aired his views, his party is of the view that the government should not be sacrificed for the nuclear deal.
The Left, however, is unfazed and determined to face elections if the government goes ahead with the nuclear deal. “The ball in now in the government’s court. We will take the call after the October 22 meeting of the panel,” said one of the Left leaders.
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