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New Delhi: In a dramatic U-turn, the Left parties yesterday allowed the government to approach the IAEA, indicating a thaw in the stalemate over the India-US nuclear deal.
The Left's permission, however, is conditional.
While it allows the government that depends on its outside support for survival to negotiate the safeguards agreement with the international atomic watchdog, it desires to keep the veto right and wants the government not to sign the deal without its approval.
The Left had earlier put the government on notice asking it to freeze the nuclear deal and desist from approaching the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The deferred sixth round of United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-Left panel on the nuclear deal logjam is expected to take place on Friday. Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is convenor of the 16-member panel, had separate meetings with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat and Politburo member Sitaram Yechury in this regards.
Sources in the Congress party that heads the ruling United Progressive Alliance said the Friday meeting is expected to get into details of the proposed negotiations with the IAEA - which is a prerequisite before India can approach the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) - with special emphasis on the Left demand to have the veto right on the text of the agreement with the IAEA.
Principal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has been quick to seize lambast the ruling coalition and its key ally. BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar yesterday termed the Left climb-down as a quid pro quo for bailing the CPM out of the Nandigram crisis over acquisition of farm land.
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