India News Online » News Analysis » Indian Politics » 

UPA-Left panel on nuclear deal to meet again : No end to the standoff

	October 29, 2007

The stalemate on the India-US civilian nuclear deal between the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the Left parties continued at the 5th meeting of the UPA-Left panel on Oct. 22. The committee decided to meet again on Nov. 16 after Diwali and start the process of finalising findings of the Committee.



A statement issued after the meeting said, “the Members of the Committee expressed the hope that the issues currently before it would be addressed in an appropriate manner and the operation¬alisation of the deal will take into account the committee’s findings.” Sources said both the UPA and the Left stuck to their points of view and no change in their respective stance was apparent at the committee meeting. They pointed out that the committee is unlikely to come out with a unanimous declaration on the deal.



Reports say that the UPA did not give any assurance to the Left parties that the nuclear deal had been indefinitely put on hold. In the days before the Monday meeting, the Left had been asking for a written or formal assurance that the deal would be put on hold. But the Government stuck to its earlier stand that “operationalisation of the nuclear deal will take into account the committee’s findings.”



There are reports that the Government made a last ditch effort to get the Left’s clearance for beginning negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on India-specific safeguards, but this was flatly rejected by the Left parties. The Communist parties reaffirmed their position that the Government should not approach the IAEA till the panel fina¬lises its report.



The next meeting of the panel on Nov. 16 is a week before the Board of Governors of the IAEA meets. Observers say this will give the government little time to push for India-specific safeguards.





PM “disappointed” over U-turn by allies



In a significant move, the UPA constituents had a meeting in New Delhi hours before the meeting of the UPA-Left panel. There are reports that at the UPA meeting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed disappointment over the U-turn by allies after being part of the cabinet approval of the deal. Congress sources said that the Prime Minister felt let down and that he conveyed his feelings to the allies. However, for the record, both the Prime Minister’s Office and the Congress later claimed that this was ‘speculation’ and there had been no such talk.



The Prime Minister reportedly said at the UPA meeting that abandoning an agreement cleared by the Cabinet will dent the credibility of the Government. He said the practice of criticis¬ing the decisions taken by the Cabinet was not on.



The meeting with the UPA allies was also attended by Con¬gress president Sonia Gandhi.











UPA-Left panel to focus on finalising its findings



Briefing mediapersons after the UPA-Left panel meeting on Oct. 22, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is convener of the committee, said, “The committee continued its deliberations in a constructive and cordial atmosphere on the issues that have been raised concerning the implications of the proposed India-U.S. bilateral agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation, including the implications of the Hyde Act on In¬dia’s nuclear programme and its pursuit of an independent foreign policy.”



He said the committee had before it “further inputs sent by the Left parties.” The UPA would give its reply in due course, he added.



The meeting was attended by all members of the committee, except Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, who was abroad.



Most of the discussions of the committee have been complet¬ed. Monday’s meeting held detailed deliberations on the Hyde Act, its implications on the 123 Agreement and India’s foreign policy.

The committee would now focus on how to finalise its findings, well placed sources in the Left parties said.



Asked if the nuclear deal was off, Communist Party of India general secretary A.B. Bardhan said the statement reiterated the position as on August 30 - at the time of the formation of the UPA-Left committee - that its findings would be taken into ac¬count before the government proceeded with the deal.







PMO denies reports of Prime Minister threatening to quit



The Prime Minister’s Office and the Congress have denied as “absolutely baseless” and “unfounded” reports that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh threatened to resign during a meeting of UPA allies ahead of the UPA-Left Political Committee meeting.



Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan said reports about Dr. Singh saying that he was “let down” and “disappointed” and that the India-U.S. nuclear agreement was stuck were “abso¬lutely baseless and unfounded.”



A participant, however, disclosed that the Prime Minister’s remark that the UPA would look like a “lame-duck government” if the deal did not go through led to speculation about what tran¬spired at the meeting.



Among the alliance partners who attended the meeting were Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nationalist Con¬gress Party president Sharad Pawar and Dravida Munnetra Kaz¬hagham’s T.R. Baalu.



Soon after, some television channels flashed the “news” that the Prime Minister had expressed “disappointment” and said it was “embarrassing” for him that there was a “U-turn” on the deal, and that he “threatened to quit.”



Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said that it was “noth¬ing but baseless speculation.”



“There is some disagreement between the Congress and some of the UPA’s ‘non-Cabinet’ supporting parties on which we are engag¬ing them and trying to persuade them to agree.”



He said there was no disagreement in the Cabinet on the deal, which was a “good one.” The Left parties had misgivings, to address which the process of engagement would go on. “There is no time limit or deadline for it.” What was the Government’s priority ? To save the Government or the deal “ He said, “If there is no Government, there will be no deal.”







Fractured mandate holding up growth : PM



Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, speaking in New Delhi on Oct. 23, a day after the meeting of the UPA-Left Committee on the nuclear deal said that “competitive politics and fractured man¬dates” make it difficult for the Government to pursue, sustain and accelerate growth. Addressing the McKensy Board in India, he said, “given the nature of competitive politics and fractured mandates given to the governments, it has, I must admit, become difficult sometimes for us to do what is manifestly obvious.”



The Prime Minister though did not say anything about the nuclear deal in the four-page text of his prepared speech.



The statement on coalition governments was taken as being politically significant as it came at a time when the Prime Minister reportedly felt let down by his own allies.



The Prime Minister said the government still had an unfin¬ished agenda of economic reforms at the Centre but the real action had to be at the level of the states, which had to imple¬ment the policies and schemes.



While expressing concern over the wide inter-regional and inter-state economic differences, he said for successful imple¬mentation of social and human development initiatives, a greater public-private partnership was required.



Later, AICC media department chairperson Veerappa Moily said : “It (Singh’s remarks) is a general and philosophical statement.” Other Congress leaders privately said the remarks encapsulate the dream of a clear majority.



Speaking to a group of Indian Americans in New Delhi on October 23, the Prime Minister said that he has not given up on the nuclear deal and is still hopeful of a solution to push the agreement.



Dr. Singh told the group led by U.S.-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) Chairman Sanjay Puri that he was still hope¬ful of a solution to the logjam over the deal which meets the assurances he had given to Parliament.



USINPAC Director Robinder Sachdev said after the meeting with Dr. Singh that they got a feeling that he was open to the idea of discussion on the deal in Parliament.



A 10-member delegation, comprising top politically active Indian-American businessmen, is in the capital to interact with leaders across the political spectrum and understand their stand on the nuclear deal.



Sachdev said the Prime Minister also noted that the BJP had opposed the deal citing certain strategic issues and expressed readiness to convey to them that the strategic component has been taken care of.



He said Dr. Singh also told them that the deal did not compromise India’s position to pursue an independent foreign policy.







Winter session of Parliament to be advanced



The Government is advancing the Winter session of Parliament to meet in the first half of November and shortening its dura¬tion. Normally the Winter session begins in the third or fourth week of November, and continues upto Christmas. Sources say that the Winter session is now likely to start on Nov. 12 and end on Nov. 30. Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan said a firm decision on the issue will be taken very soon. He said the Winter session is being advanced in view of the Gujarat Assembly elections scheduled for Dec. 11 and 16.



Early holding of the Winter session will also allow a debate on the nuclear issue, which the Left has been demanding. Observ¬ers say that the only hurdle could come from the BJP if it stalls Parliament on various issues, as it did on many days in the Monsoon session. Both the Government and the Left are in agree¬ment on the need for a discussion in Parliament on the nuclear deal.



Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said the debate on the nuclear issue will take place, but it need not be under a rule that entails voting. The Lok Sabha Speaker had ruled against a discussion on the nuclear deal under a rule which provides for voting during the Monsoon session. The Government is hoping that a debate will give it an opportunity to pitch for the nuclear deal as effectively as possible, without emphasising the differences with the Left.







AICC session on Nov. 17



The nuclear deal is expected to dominate the AICC session to be held in New Delhi on Nov. 17, a day after the meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal. The session, to be held at the Talkatora Stadium, will be preceded by a meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Nov. 16. This would be the first AICC session to be held after the appointment of Rahul Gandhi as party general secretary.



Observers say that Rahul Gandhi will be at the centre-stage in the AICC session and the party appears to be gearing up to project him as the future leader during the session.



Three resolutions, one each on the political, economic and international situation will be adopted at the AICC session. Observers say that unlike previous sessions when the resolution on the international situation used to be given only cursory attention, this time the resolution will be the focus of atten¬tion as it is expected to reflect the party’s position on the future of the stalled nuclear deal. AICC delegates will be looking at the resolution for directions on the critical issue.



The political resolution is expected to spell out the par¬ty’s strategy in the light of the lessons it has learnt from managing its first coalition government at the Centre. There is a strong view in the Congress that the party should chalk out an independent path in future even at the risk of sitting in the Opposition.