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| India-Pakistan |
| US-India nuke deal logjam has affected Indian govt's functioning: PM |
| 2007-11-12 |
| NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has held the Left responsible for an atmosphere of "uncertainty" over the nuclear deal and feared that as a fallout, the bureaucracy might show reluctance to function effectively. During the luncheon meeting with CPM general secretary Prakash Karat and his CPI counterpart A B Bardhan on Saturday, Singh, in fact, regretted that the turmoil over the 123 agreement had affected normal functioning within the government with senior officials being in a dilemma about decision making. What the PM hinted at was the typical bureaucratic syndrome of wavering in the midst of political instability. Uncertain of the fate of the incumbent regime, the babus waver in carrying out orders involving delicate decision making. According to sources, Karat, however, protested pointing out that the Left had never threatened to topple the government over the nuclear issue. "The assurance came from none other than Jyoti Basu," he reportedly said. Karat sought to absolve the Left of any attempt at paralysing the government and creating a situation in which the officialdom would be unwilling to function. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee were also present. The Left leaders rejected yet another suggestion from the PM that negotiations begin with IAEA. Karat held that the government should wait for the outcome of the nuclear debate in Parliament before taking the next step regarding the deal with the US. However, the two sides could not come to an agreement about the timing of the debate in the winter session beginning on November 15. The government proposed that the discussion begin on November 27 keeping in view the PMÂ’s heavy engagements abroad. For their part, the Left leaders favoured an early debate if not exactly on the opening day. Karat and Bardhan, it is learnt, also complained to the PM about West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna GandhiÂ’s public statements over the Nandigram violence. |
| Posted by:john frum |