Nuke Deal : Govt agrees to set up Mechanism to address Left concerns

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Aug 27 (UNI) The negotiations between the Left parties and the Government to thrash out the logjam over the Indo-US Nuclear deal resumed on a cordial note today with the latter agreeing to set up a "political mechanism" to evaluate the Hyde Act and remove Left concerns and doubts.

Top leadership of the CPI and CPI(M) held separate meetings with External Affairs Minister and government interlocutor Pranab Mukherjee, which was also attended by Defence Minister A K Antony and Political Secretary to the Congress President Ahmed Patel.

Emerging from the one hour meeting, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury told newspersons that the government had agreed to set up a mechanism on which preliminary discussions have been completed.

Mr Yechury said they had also reiterated the Left party's demand that the government should not operationalise the deal untill all their doubts and apprehensions are removed because the party Polit Bureau, the party Central Committe and all the four left parties have already made their position clear in this regard.

Mr Mukherjee informed the Left leaders that the goverment was ready to set up a ''mechanism'' which can analyse the implications of the Hyde Act for the Indo-US Nuclear deal.

The meeting also discussed the composition and terms of reference of the mechanism along with the pros and cons of such a set up, sources said.

Besides, Mr Yechury party General Secretary Prakash Karat also joined the negotiations.

Earlier, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan had about one-and-a-half hour meeting with Mr Mukherjee.

Mr Bardhan, who was accompanied by party senior leaders Gurudas Dasgupta and D Raja, told UNI that they emphasised on the ''political mechanism'' as the experts panel was not going to solve the problem.

The CPI leader said the technical experts and the diplomats could drop in occasionally.

Mr Mukherjee would now apprise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi of the progress of the preliminary negotiations.

The final picture will emerge after another two days.

The Mechanism X X X Eds picking up here from line one second last para of DI38, NUCLEAR-LEFT-LEAD UPA.

UNI

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