By IANS
New Delhi : Parliament will discuss the India-US civilian nuclear deal Aug 14 and 16 as the government wants a debate on it at the earliest, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said Friday.
“The government has nothing to hide and is ready to discuss the issue. We want to discuss the issue as early as possible,” he told reporters.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will make a statement in the house Aug 13.
The government’s Left allies as well as the opposition parties have been critical of the 123 agreement concluded last month on the technical aspects of the nuclear deal and are pressing for a debate in parliament.
While the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) want a discussion under Rule 184 that entails voting, the Left wants this under Rule 193 where no vote is required.
However, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee will take a final decision on the format under which discussion will be held.
With the nuclear deal set to dominate the proceedings of parliament, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will not be attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, next week.