UPA to meet over N-deal today

New Delhi, Aug 19: The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will meet today to resolve the crisis sparked off by the ultimatum issued by the Left to the Government over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

All the UPA constituents, including the NCP, the RJD and the DMK, are likely to attend the meeting at 1500 hrs on Sunday, sources said.

Soon after CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat yesterday warned the government of "serious consequences" if the nuclear deal was operationalised, an emergency meeting of the Congress core group was called to deal with the situation.

The core group headed by party president Sonia Gandhi and having Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil, A K Antony and Arjun Singh as its members, met at the Prime Minister's Race Course residence for nearly 90 minutes.

At the meeting, Mr Mukherjee is understood to have briefed the Congress leadership about the intricate aspects of the nuclear deal.

Prior to that, Mukherjee met Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon who apprised him of the strategic implications of putting the deal on hold.

As the core group went into a huddle, the Congress said national interest would continue to be the party's "guiding pole star" on the issue.

"The two years of discussions culminating in the 123 agreement have been actuated only by national interest. That will continue to be our guiding pole star. No apprehension in this regard is justified," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.

Downplaying the Left's warning, he said: "Occasional marital differences are part of any marriage and that need not lead to any hasty talk of divorce." Meanwhile, the Congress has already started consultations with its allies separately with Mr Mukherjee meeting RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

The meeting, attended by Mr Antony, Mr Patil and Mr Arjun Singh, is understood to have deliberated upon the future course of action in the wake of Left parties' ultimatum.

The prime Minister will also meet Left leaders individually before the parliamentary party meeting on Monday to remove any misgivings over the nuclear deal.

The four Left parties CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc who are extending crucial outside support to the UPA coalition have warned the Government not to take further action on the implementation of the 123 agreement including talks with IAEA and the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG).

UNI