LS to debate Indo-US nuke deal on Monday

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha will have a special discussion on the India-United States nuclear deal on Monday under a rule that does not entail voting, contrary to the Bharatiya Janata Party's demand.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to intervene in the debate, which will start in the afternoon, and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will reply to it.

The Rajya Sabha is expected to take up the matter on Tuesday and is likely to focus its attention on Monday to consider the OBC quota bill which has been approved by the Lok Sabha.

The last two days of the winter session that concludes on December 19 have been kept exclusively for a threadbare discussion on the nuke deal which has evoked sharp attack from the main opposition BJP and serious reservations from Left parties.

Some scientists came out with their reservations on a number of provisions in the bill passed by the US Senate and Congress.

Government has been insisting that the deal has not reached its finality and therefore it would be wrong to project any division on the issue in Parliament.

Government sources maintain the Opposition by the BJP as also reservations of the Left were in a way blessing in disguise for the government as it would be able to impress upon Washington for a better deal in view of the domestic sensitivities.

Meeting in the midst of opposition criticism, the Congress Working Committee last week put its weight behind the government on the issue.

Mukherjee told Parliament last week the new US law on nuke deal contains 'extraneous and prescriptive' provisions but said concerns over these are expected to be addressed in a separate agreement with Washington.

He asserted that no external interference will be allowed in the country's strategic programme which will remain insulated from outside scrutiny.

He virtually ignored the BJP's demand that the US law in its present form be rejected as he made it obvious that negotiation on the 123 Agreement, which will make the Indo-US deal operational, will continue.

The government has been insisting that the Bush administration has given a categorical assurance that the legislation passed by Congress 'explicitly' authorized civil nuclear cooperation with India 'fully consistent' with the July 18, 2005 agreement and the March 2, 2006 Separation Plan.

The July 18 deal reached in Washington between Manmohan and President George W Bush seeks to end over the three-decade long nuclear isolation of India targeted by technology-denial regimes.

Under the Separation Plan, India has offered to put 14 of its 22 nuclear reactors under IAEA safeguards.