US says time running out on N-deal

Washington, June 21 : With the stalemate between the Congress and the Left parties over the proposed Indo-US nuclear deal continuing in New Delhi, the US has once again reminded India that time was running out and that the political differences over the deal should be resolved at the earliest to pave the way for the bilateral deal.

At the regular press briefing in Washington, a US State Department spokesman said that both the countries were having a regular dialogue over the latest developments regarding the deal.

"We are talking to them (India) about it (deal), in as much as they are briefing us on their efforts. I think it's more they're coming to us to say. This is what we're trying to do to resolve internal political differences that are holding up the deal moving forward," State Department spokesman McCormack told reporters.

He added, "Every single day that the Indian government delays and has delayed is a day that makes it much more difficult to get this done. All of that said, you know, we'll, of course, continue to work very closely with Senator Biden, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as others on that committee, should the Indian government get to a different place."

The spokesman also said that a separate branch of the US government as well as other international Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and IAEA would be dealing with the deal.

On Friday, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) General Secretary Prakash Karat called on External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi to discuss nuclear deal issue.

"We have reiterated our stand and told the Government not to go ahead with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) talks," Karat said.

Pranab Mukherjee said, "There is neither any deterioration nor improvement on nuclear deal issue."

ANI