Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came out in strong defence of the Indo-US nuclear deal, the government today said that negotiations on the agreement have not been put on hold and it was free to pursue them.
A day after agreeing to set up a committee to address the Left parties' concerns on the deal, the government noted that there was nothing in the United Progressive Alliance-Left statement that prevented it from pursuing the negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency or the Nuclear Suppliers Group to implement the agreement.
"Negotiations on the Indo-US nuclear deal are not put on hold," Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi told a press conference when asked whether yesterday's decision meant that the agreement has been put on hold.
He said no date has been fixed for negotiations with IAEA. "How can I say it has been put on hold?"
At the same time, Dasmunsi said before the negotiations, "We shall have to complete the process which we shall have to keep in mind".
The prime minister made a strong defence of the nuclear deal in Mumbai, saying India could not afford to "miss the bus" of nuclear renaissance.
Government sources said operationalisation of the deal means a stage when the nuclear deal is implemented on the ground and foreign fuel and technology starts arriving.
This is in contrast to the perception of the Left parties, which say that operationalisation will mean even holding of negotiations with IAEA for a safeguards agreement.
Seeking to allay any impression that the government was not bothered about the views of the allies, Dasmunsi said, "The Left concerns and our concerns should be addressed in the committee. It does not mean one is letting down the other."
The committee will be finalised very soon and it would go into all aspects. The outcome of the committee recommendations will strengthen the hands of the government, he said.
Dasmunsi's comments came as the prime minister underlined that a strong nuclear energy programme was in the country's "vital" interest.
Dedicating two high-efficiency Tarapur nuclear reactors to the nation, he emphasised the need for paving the way for the country to benefit from "nuclear commerce without restrictions" with international cooperation.
"I am absolutely clear our government will complete the obligations to the people and fulfill all commitments in the Common Minimum Programme. The government will complete its full term," Dasmunsi said.
Suggesting that the Bharatiya Janata Party should not try to take advantage of the circumstances, the parliamentary affairs minister said, "Under no circumstances, communal forces would be allowed to exploit the situation."
Ruling out formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to go into the nuclear deal, Dasmunsi said a discussion in Parliament on the agreement has been tentatively fixed for September 10 and 11.
