New Delhi, October 6, 2007 – Left party, important alliance of UPA govt., has to cut a sorry figure nationally when External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee plainly told them today that the commitment made by the government in connection with the Indo-US nuclear deal is got to be honored what come may, and thus the govt. shall start negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the India-specific safeguards agreement, as per schedule.

Despite all this, the Left still feels that the govt. would bow before them. They should understand that the UPA Govt. is only gaining time and can in no circumstances back out from the international commitment made in the larger interest of the nation, and this is an acidic test of all national level political parties, how patriotic they are and how far regard they hold for the nation over their own narrow interest?

The country, in fact, must go to honor its commitment rather than to stoop before blackmailing tactics by political parties, whether it is Left or some other party.

But the Left leaders are hoping against hope and are stuck to their stand of no negotiation with the IAEA until the political committee submits its report and Parliament debates the deal.

To save their own face, they feel that the Government might not go ahead with the IAEA talks, making the next round of meeting slated after three days i.e.  October 9, 2007, the leaders of the Left Party are simply posing a false posture. (IR Summary).
 
External Affairs Mr. Pranab Mukherjee is learnt to have told Left leaders at the meeting of the UPA-Left committee on Indo-US civilian nuclear deal:

Apparently to placate Left’s concerns, a Department of Atomic Energy statement today said the DAE “is not holding any formal negotiations with the IAEA for drafting the safeguards agreement” and it had not received any initial draft from the agency.

Mukherjee is said to have told the Left that the UPA was prepared to show the text of the (safeguards agreement) to the Left before it is signed but it could not be delayed. Rejecting the proposal, Left leaders said it would be better to complete the deliberations by the committee and reach a conclusion before the government goes ahead with the talks.

Accordingly, the two sides decided to meet again on October 9 and, “if required”, again on October 14.

At the end of the over two-hour-long meeting, Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas said, “We have the impression that the Government will not go ahead with operational zing the deal till the committee files its report.”