Two visiting Indian parliamentarians in the same delegation have differing takes on their 30-minute meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, with one saying that Rice had told them that India must be prepared to accept some amendments to the US-India civilian nuclear agreement -- although within the ambit of the July 18 Joint Statement -- while another said Rice had made no such statements.
Rajya Sabha member Shahid Siddiqui of the Samajwadi Party told reporters, "Our main concern was over expected amendments to the legislation, but she (Rice) said, if the amendments are within the spirit of the July 18 agreement, then you should be prepared for it. The message was that there are going to be amendements and we should be ready for it."
Siddiqui said, "What we said was that time was of the essence and it's very important so it should be done as soon as possible. What we are concerned is that if it doesn't go through now, then it will be difficult to get it through. We feel it should be done before the summer recess."
But he said Rice had said, "What is important now is the sequence. That how fast you are able to engage the International Atomic Energy Agency and get the safeguards -- not the agreement but that the basic framework should be clear to Congress."
He said she had cautioned that if this basic framework is not clear to Congress, "then the Congress will ask what are we getting into. So that it very legitimate."
"(But) She is quite optimistic that they will be able to deliver -- get it through," Siddiqui said and added, that Rice had indicated that the legislation could be approved by Congress "in a couple of months. So she did give a time-frame of June."
He said the parliamentarians had told Rice that "if it doesn't go through in the present format, it will be very difficult for Manmohan Singh to sell it to his own allies, forget about Parliament."
Siddiqui said Rice had acknowledged that, "Yes, it is going to be difficult for you and for us but we have to do it, but you are legislators and so you understand that legislators will not go around to accept something, which is not very clear to them. It has to be obvious to them what they are getting into."
But Sachin Pilot of the Congress Party told rediff India Abroad that Rice had not spoken about any amendments, but agreed that "the essence of the agreement is what we should focus on and that's what we are going to achieve."
"That whatever the understanding the two governments have, that's what it is. There's been no additions or deleting," he said.
With regard to timing, Pilot said Rice had assured them that "the administration is working in earnest to make it happen -- sooner than later".
He said with regard to concerns that if it drags on for months it could die in Congress, Pilot said, "Both parties are very well aware of that. She understands that some people might try to kill it by delaying it so much. So she's aware of it and so are we. So we are pushing at all levels and it's important that -- you know, in India, it's not 100 per cent. I mean, you know, it's hard sell for us as well as it's here."
"We have our own opposition, so let's not feel that it's all happening very well," in India in terms of a consensus on the deal, Pilot added.
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