NEW DELHI: It is only a matter of days for the Indo-US nuclear deal to be finally formally inked. This depends on how soon the US Congress gives the nod to the 123 agreement.
“We are now in the final phase,” US envoy in India David C. Mulford told reporters here yesterday. “The 123 agreement is to be presented before the US Congress. That process is ongoing. We hope to do it in the next few days and then hope for action (by the Congress),” he said. If the Congress gives it the green signal now, the 123 agreement could be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to US later this month, he said.
The US envoy expressed confidence for an early approval by the Congress by an “up-and-down” vote. If the agreement is not passed during the current session, there is the possibility of a “lame duck” session after presidential polls in November, he said.
At present, senior officials of US administration are engaged in a dialogue with key leaders of the Congress regarding the agreement’s introduction.
There is a precedent for waiving the 30-day notice for introduction of any document in the US Congress, Mulford said.
Meanwhile, leaders of several parties opposed to the deal, including the Left bloc, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Telegu Desam Party (TDP) and others submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil yesterday.
Accusing the government of “concealing” information regarding the deal, they demanded immediate convening of the Parliament’s monsoon session.
Also yesterday, China deflected criticism from Indian media and at least one senior official who accused Beijing of trying to block the deal that paved the way for the US to sell peaceful nuclear technology to New Delhi.
India’s National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, a top aide to Singh, was quoted as saying in news reports that India was “disappointed” because China backed those against the proposal, which was nonetheless approved Saturday by the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in Beijing yesterday that Beijing’s stance “couldn’t be more clear.”
