N-deal in deep freeze: PM to Bush

Abuja (Nigeria), Oct 16: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh telephoned President George Bush from Nigeria and informed him that Indo-US deal has to wait because of domestic political compulsions in India.

A little before Manmohan Singh made the phone call, US ambassador David Mulford called on External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

He was officially informed of the Government decision not to pursue the deal further at this stage given the Left's strong reservations.

The US is understood to have expressed disappointment.

Apparently Mukherjee had kept US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice prepared for such an eventuality at their last meeting in New York a fortnight ago.

OneIndia News>