By IANS,
New Delhi : There is no threat to the government, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Privthviraj Chavan said here Thursday, a day after the ruling coalition ended a crucial meeting with the Left parties without any breakthrough on the India-US nuclear deal.
“The nuclear deal was not discussed in the cabinet,” Chavan told reporters when asked whether the government was planning to go ahead with the deal.
He was briefing the media on decisions taken during the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
“There is no threat to the government,” he replied when asked whether the government was safe after the Left parties again rejected the nuclear deal at the UPA-Left meeting.
Chavan, however, refused to comment on speculation about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Japan next month to attend the G8 summit.
“I will not comment on it. It was not discussed in the cabinet,” he replied when asked to comment on speculation in a section of the media that suggested the prime minister may not go to the G8 summit in view of the continuing impasse on the nuclear deal.
“The prime minister’s programme will be issued in due course,” he added.
Despite the government’s last-minute efforts to bring them on board, the Left parties reiterated their position, virtually sealing the fate of the nuclear deal.
With time running out for implementing the nuclear deal in view of the US presidential elections in November, the government has to take a political call soon on going ahead with the deal.
If it decides for the deal, it could lead to a parting of ways with its Communist allies on whose support it depends for its survival – a step which will lead to early elections to which most of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) parties are opposed.