Ready to face Parliament before operationalising deal: PM

New Delhi, July 1 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
today played down the Left Parties threat to withdraw support
to his government on the Indo-US nuclear deal and made it
clear that he was prepared to face Parliament before
operationalising the deal.

Breaking his silence on the nearly fortnight-long
stand-off with the Left parties supporting his government from
outside, he said all that he wanted was that the government
should be allowed to complete the negotiation process with the
IAEA and NSG.

Singh expressed confidence that the government would
be able to address concerns of all including the Left parties
on the civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the US.

"We will grapple with that stage when we come to it,"
he said when asked about the threat held out yesterday by
CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat that his party would
withdraw support in concert with other Left parties if the
Government went ahead with the deal.

"I hope we can work out...we can still work out an
outcome that will satisfy all parties," he told senior
journalists at his residence after releasing the 'National
Action Plan on Climate Change' brought out by the Prime
Minister's Council on Climate Change.

Initially the Prime Minister, who appeared relaxed
despite the political stalemate, said he would not like to
speak on the nuclear issue maintaining that silence was better
but later came out with his comments in reply to questions.

"I have said it before. I will repeat it again that
you allow us to complete the process. Once the process is
over, I will bring it before Parliament and abide by the
House," he said.

The Prime Minister said, "I am not asking for
something that the Government should not be doing. I am only
saying you will allow me to complete the negotiations.

"There are concerns. I agree to come to Parliament
before I proceed to operatioanalise (the deal). What can be
more reasonable than this".

He said the BJP and the Left parties will have an
opportunity to discuss the deal in Parliament. "If Parliament
feels you (government) have done some wrong, so be it," Singh
said.

"All that I want is the authority to proceed with the
process of negotiations through all stages like the IAEA and
NSG that will not tie down the hands of the country," he said.

Asked about the prospects of early elections because
of the political problems over the deal, Singh said, "I don't
see elections".

To a question about Karat's strident attack yesterday,
he said, "there is nothing new in what the Left parties have
said. I have not given up hope still".

He parried a question on the speculation about his
attending the G-8 summit in Tokyo saying the nuclear deal was
not on the agenda there. He laughed off a suggestion that he
would be more comfortable attending the G-8 if the issue was
resolved before his departure.

Singh said he does recognise that the issue has
aroused a great deal of interest.

Earlier in his speech at the release function, Singh
said there should be a shift from economic activity based on
fossil fuels to one based on non-fossil fuels and from
reliance on non-renewable and depleting sources of energy to
renewable sources of energy. He made no mention of nuclear
energy. PTI