Left parties seek N-deal discussion

Reconciling differences, Left parties on Friday mounted pressure on the United Progressive Alliance government for a threadbare discussion on the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal in Parliament which should spell out its opinion on the sensitive issue of vital national importance.

The parties, which provide crucial outside support to the coalition, said the government could choose the language and form to express the sense of the House so that the parameters of the agreement can be defined to counter pressures and changes brought about.

"It may be in any form, either a statement issued on behalf of the House by the Speaker, or statement made by the prime minister," but the opinion of the Parliament needs to be clearly spelt out now which cannot be done simply through a suo-motu statement, Communist Party of India General Secretary A B Bardhan said.

Emerging from an hour-long meeting of Left parties in New Delhi, he said talks are on with government representatives to arrive at a "mutual agreement, which will contain the parameters that the Left has pointed out for conveying the sense of the House.

The government should realise that this is an issue of vital national importance and this cannot wait till the legislation is finally adopted in the US Congress. "It is not a no-confidence or censure motion," he added.