Finally, Left permits govt to hold negotiations with IAEA

A definite picture is expected to emerge this Friday when the UPA-Left joint committee will meet once again to finalise this stand that will pave the way for New Delhi to approach the IAEA for India-specific safeguards agreement as part of the next step needed to operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal.

??The meeting of UPA-Left has been reconvened on November 16. We hope a way out will be found at the meeting,?? said external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is the convenor of the joint panel. Sources suggested that the Left parties had agreed to letting the government have negotiations with the IAEA for India-specific safeguards agreement subject to the condition that the government would not initial any agreement with the international atomic watchdog.

The breakthrough, sources said, was achieved at the lunch meeting hosted for Left leaders Prakash Karat and AB Bardhan by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on last Saturday in which the latter sought their nod for talks with the IAEA.

The Left agreed, but only after extracting a promise 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 already taken a position that operationalisation of the deal would be subject to the findings of the joint committee.

The softening of Left stance came following relentless efforts made by governrent managers to allow them to take the next step in implementing the deal.

Left leaders, however, refused to come out openly on the change on Tuesday evening. Maintaining that the next UPA-Left meeting would be held by this week, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said, ??Whatever decision has to be taken will be taken at the meeting. Why are you presuming there is a change in our stance. We have not taken any stance,?? he said. The development comes ahead of the winter session of Parliament and is expected to help raise the comfort level of the Congress-led coalition.