Under fire over signaling a pause over operationalising the nuclear deal a fortnight ago and mounting political and diplomatic pressure, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday signaled his government’s plans to go ahead with the deal.

“We are committed to see that the process (operationalising the nuclear deal) is carried forward… efforts are on to evolve a broad-based national consensus,” the prime minister said at a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the capital on Tuesday evening.

The prime minister said his government had encountered “some problems” in the implementation of the deal with the US but “we have not reached the end of the road.”

In a democracy, it was important to take all those who supported the government, he observed.

However, he said he would like to speculate about consequences of some delay in the operationisation of the deal.

The prime minister’s indication about reviving negotiations on the deal came against the backdrop of intense lobbying by the US Administration to hasten the process of completing the deal. Late on Monday, US Secretary of Condoleezza Rice called up External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee for a nuclear deal “specific” conversation.
The External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna acknowledged that the nuclear issue had figured in the telephonic conversation.

Though he did not elaborate, US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack was quoted as saying that the conversation was “specifically focused” on the deal, with Rice telling Pranab to expedite remaining aspects of the deal, in particular the safeguards agreement with the IAEA.

The US State Department was also quoted as telling that the Manmohan Singh government was “working through some domestic politics” to get necessary political endorsement for the deal. He, however, ruled out renegotiating the Indo-US 123 agreement finalised in June.

Ahead of his talks with Rice, Mukherjee is understood to have made one more effort to get the CPM’s nod for going ahead with the IAEA negotiations. He spoke to CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury late on Monday in this regard. The CPM leader is understood to have reiterated his party’s opposition.

But there were clear indications that the government might seek to soften up BJP’s opposition to the deal.
Sources considered to be very close to Sonia said on Tuesday that the government would engage the BJP to get some form of support from the party for the nuclear deal ahead of the winter session of Parliament.

The issue is expected to be debated in Parliament when winter session starts on November 15.

PACT INKED for science centre
New Delhi, DHNS: With the objective of taking new technology to the industry, India and Germany have signed an agreement, on Tuesday, to set up a joint science research centre for the task.

Both sides will contribute 10 million Euro each as seed money towards this centre, which will be located in Delhi. The agreement was inked by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and visiting German Chancellor Dr Angela Markel.