Left optimistic of PM allaying fears on nuclear deal

New Delhi, Aug 4 (UNI) The Left parties today expressed optimism that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would address their apprehensions and concerns on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

The Left parties' confidence stemmed from their resolving mutual differences on the issue when they held a joint meeting to evolve a common approach at CPI(M) headquarters A K Gopalan Bhawan this noon.

''The Prime Minister has to assure the Parliament that nothing would be done to affect the autonomy in our nuclear programme,'' a senior Left leader told UNI after the meeting.

''We hope that when discussion is taken up in Parliament, the Prime Minister's reply will address all our concerns and the sense of Parliament.'' The three areas of Left's concerns are perpetual inspection by IAEA, the yearly clearance by the US President and the non-reciprocal basis of the agreement.

The Left would like the Prime Minister to address these concerns either by a suo motu statement or in his reply to a short term discussion in Parliament.

The idea is to get the government committed to the sense of the House before signing the final agreement.

It may be noted here that US House of Representatives has already passed the pact. Now, it has to be passed by the US Senate next month, then the joint sitting of the two houses would finalise the deal followed by an assent by the US President George Bush. Then, it will finally be signed by India and the US.

UNI KSA PK RAI1700