Future course of action on N-deal tomorrow: Left

New Delhi: Ahead of the UPA- Left political panel's meeting on Friday, Left parties on Thursday made it clear that they were not averse to the Centre holding initial negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) provided, it convinced them about the urgency and the rationale behind such a move.

Moreover, the Government would have to give a clear cut assurance

that it would only negotiate and without the prior sanction of the Political Committee would not enter into any agreement, said Left Parliamentary leaders Sitaram Yechury and Gurudas Dasgupta at a

press conference on the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament, which commenced on Thursday.

The leaders said a joint meeting of the Left parties in Parliament was held on Thursday morning, where it was decided that they are still opposed to the deal, as earlier stated by them.

They had sought clarifications from the Government on the impact on the Hyde Act on the N- deal, the full nuclear supply, dual use of technology and the consequences if the deal was terminated.

Yechury said the Government had argued that all the Left queries could be answered by talking to IAEA.

"Let us see what proposal the Government puts forward on this. Only then the future course of action will be decided by us,” said Yechury.

On the discussion about the deal in Parliament, they said it could be possible either before November 20 or after November 26 when the Prime Minister would surely be present in the House.

The Prime Minister is going abroad and will be away from December 20 to 26 meeting his international commitments.

Dasgupta, who stated on Wednesday that the Left have taken a" flexible and reasonable" stand by allowing the government to negotiate with the IAEA, on Thursday said, "We will not allow the operationalisation of the deal, This is our collective view."

They also enlisted several issues for proper discussion on price rise, the collapse of the PDS, unabated agrarian crisis with one farmer committing suicide every 30 minutes, the review of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Tehelka expose on Gujarat genocide, growing ultra-Left violence and the tabling of the Women's Reservation Bill, the proper implementation of the Sachar Committee Report among other things.