Expert committee to look into Left's concern over N-deal

New Delhi, Aug 19 (UNI) The Congress core group tonight suggested that the Government should set up an expert committee to look into the concerns of the Left parties over the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

Left party leaders and diplomats would be on the committee that would look into the implications of the Hyde Act as demanded by the Left, sources said.

Former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who was involved in the negotiations with the US, is expected to be a key member on the committee, they said.

This was the second meeting of the core group in the past 24 hours since CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat warned the Government of ''serious consequences'' if the deal was operationalised.

The meeting was held at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Race Course residence to break the logjam created by the Left's ultimatum on the deal.

Besides Dr Singh, the meeting was attended by party chief Sonia Gandhi and Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil, A K Antony, Arjun Singh and Ahmed Patel.

Earlier today, at an hour-long meeting with Mr Mukherjee and Mr Patel, CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said the crisis could be resolved if a mechanism to evaluate the implications of the Hyde Act is created.

Dr Manmohan Singh and Ms Gandhi will now put forward the formula before the UPA allies.

Mr Mukherjee and Mr Patel also held another round of meeting with the Left leaders to reduce their sabre-rattling over the nuclear deal.

During the day, Mr Mukherjee asserted that the Government fully backed the deal as its text had been signed and frozen, Mr Yechury said the Left was open to dialogue as long as the Government did not go ahead with the IAEA and NSG negotiations.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan sounded a warning to the Government of mid-term polls, saying: ''It does not matter whether the Government stays or goes.... We will stick to our position....

the national interest is more important than the Government.'' The Left parties will now be meeting tomorrow to draw their strategy on the nuclear accord, and so will NDA constituents which have vehemently opposed the deal in its present form.

Senior BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani and Rajnath Singh are expected to hold a rally at Ramlila Grounds here tomorrow against the agreeement.

UNI