PM briefs CWC on Indo-US nuclear cooperation

New Delhi, Dec 12 (UNI) On the eve of his departure to Japan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tonight briefed the Congress Working Committee on the implications of the US legislation on Indo-US Civil Nuclear cooperation.

Dr Singh, along with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, gave the details of the legislation passed by the US Senate and the House of Representatives, which was followed by a discussion on the concerns raised by the members.

Briefing on the deliberations of the three-hour meeting, chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Media Cell head Janardhan Dwivedi told mediapersons that the resumption of the composite dialogue process between India and Pakistan in November 2006 figured in the meet.

The CWC welcomed the dialogue between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan which came a few months after the process came to a standstill following Mumbai and Malegaon bomb blasts.

He said the CWC endorsed the statements in both the Houses made by Mr Mukherjee today on the Indo-US nuclear deal in the context of the new US legislation.

The meeting finalised a strategy to apprise the Left allies of the government's efforts to safeguard the country's interests with regard to Indo-US cooperation and to face the onslaught of the Opposition BJP on this issue, party sources said.

Mr Dwivedi said the CWC, the highest policy making body of the Congress party, expressed concern over the prise rise of essential commodities, and urged the government to take appropriate steps to control the situation.

He said the Prime Minister had explained the various steps taken by the government to contain price rise, and assured that it would continue to take whatever measures that were required to rein in on the prices.

Mr Dwivedi said the CWC was also briefed about the recent visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao and the details of the talks between him and the Prime Minister.

Asked if the meeting discussed the forthcoming elections to the states of Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur, he said, ''We have not discussed any issue other than the Indo-US law, price rise, Indo-Pak and India-China talks.'' He said that issues like the Prime Minister's ''Muslim first'' remarks and the controversy surrounding it and the Sachar Committee report on backwardness of Muslims did not figure in the meet.

UNI YS/SH KD KN2209