Advani talks with Karat on nuke deal

New Delhi, Aug 13: The BJP today got in touch with the Left and other parties on the Indo-US nuclear deal after all of them opposed the 123 agreement in Parliament.

Top BJP leader L K Advani talked with CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat and was also in communication with several other leaders of the Left and other parties to persuade them for floor management in both Houses of Parliament during a debate on the nuclear issue, former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha disclosed to the media.

The BJP has sought a discussion on the deal under rule 184 which entails voting. The Left, inspite of a walkout in the Lok Sabha today, is, however, content with the debate under rule 193 with the objective of seeking only a 'sense of the House.' BJP Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra today said the party issued fresh notices to the Lok Sabha Speaker to demand discussion under rule 184. The notices, he said, have been signed by Mr Advani, Anant Geethe (Shiv Sena), B K Tripathi (BJD), Prabhunath Singh (JD-U). Mr Malhotra, who has also given a fresh notice, said their partner Shiromani Akali Dal, too, would be submitting a similar notice later today.

Mr Malhotra said the Congress informed them that the notices could be taken up in the Business Advisory Committee of the House and a debate would take place on the day when the Prime Minister is available.

Meanwhile, Mr Sinha deplored the way the Congress created a ruckus in the Rajya Sabha by depriving Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh from speaking on the nuclear deal even after Chairman Hamid Ansari had nodded his approval.

UNI