As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made it clear that the UPA government will soon approach the IAEA board governors with the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement, the Left?s announcement of withdrawing its support to the UPA is just a matter of formality now. Left leaders said that a ??final decision?? on the support to the Centre will be taken on Tuesday, in a meeting of the Left parties.
??The Left parties meeting on Tuesday will give an approapriate response to the PM?s statement,?? CPM general secretary Prakash Karat told FE when asked about Singh?s statement that the government will soon go to the IAEA with the text.
??We will take a final decision on Tuesday. The PM?s statement is a reply to our queries. The government?s intention clear and we won?t support the government in its move to operationalise the deal,?? another senior CPM leader told FE.
In the meantime, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee in a letter to the Left parties offered another round of discussions on the text of the safeguard agreement. Mukherjee reminded the Left leaders that the agreement between the Left and the UPA is that the finding of the committee will be taken in the next meeting. The external affairs minister reportedly said in the letter that the next meeting can be convened on July 10 at his Talkatora Road house.
The Left circles, apparently unhappy with the reply, said they won’t be attending the meeting on July 10.
The Left parties had sought the government?s response on going to the IAEA by July 7. Meanwhile, there are also reports that the board of governors is meeting at Vienna on July 28 to take up India’s safeguard agreement discussed at the IAEA.
The Left, most probably, will announce the separation on Wednesday. The Prime Minister will also be back in the country on Wednesday. Also, President Pratibha Patil is not in the Capital on Tuesday.