Nuke deal not in cold storage, PM not quitting :Cong

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday asserted that the Indo-US nuclear deal was 'not in cold storage' and dismissed as 'speculation' that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is contemplating resignation over the issue.
     
"The deal is not in cold storage and is very much in the offing," AICC spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said.
     
Asked about 'certain difficulties' about which the Prime Minister has spoken to US President George W Bush, Ahmed said "it is not correct to say that the deal has been put on hold or put on the back-burner."
   
Ahmed said if need be there could be more meetings of the UPA-Left Committee after October 22 to 'narrow down the differences'.
  
To a question on whether the Prime Minister was contemplating to quit following strong objections by the Left to the deal, Ahmed said Singh has full confidence of all the allies and there was no question of either him or the Government resigning.
  
"I am saying this with full responsibility," Ahmed said.
   
Dismissing suggestions that Singh has become a 'lame-duck' Prime Minister, Ahmed said, "he is as competent and as powerful as when he took over the high office."