Encouraged by the indications given by the Left parties about softening of their stand on Indo-US nuclear deal, the government on Wednesday hinted that it was preparing itself to approach IAEA for negotiation on safeguard agreements.
The move has supposedly been firmed up at a meeting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Congress president Sonia Gandhi here on Thursday. A senior Congress minister claimed that the meeting of the UPA-Left joint mechanism on Friday was going to be crucial, where the government representatives would inform the Left representatives of the decision.
Earlier the PM also held consultations with some of his senior Cabinet colleagues including external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, defence minister AK Antony and home minister Shivraj Patil.
The minister also said that the government was otherwise contemplating approaching the IAEA and it was expected that a joint formal view would be firmed at the meeting with the consent of Left parties.
The development assumes importance as it came a day after the PM met BJP patriarch AB Vajpayee in an apparent attempt to seek the Opposition’s support to the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Lok Sabha will discuss the nuclear deal on November 27 after the return of the PM from a two-nation tour of Singapore and Uganda, parliamentary affairs minister PR Dasmunsi said, adding the government has offered the debate in the Rajya Sabha on November 28.
The PM also held separate consultations with Dasmunsi and other government managers on the opening day of the winter session of Parliament, which is expected to be a stormy on Nandigram isssue.