Parliament to debate N-deal today

Ahead of the debate in Parliament on the India-United States nuclear deal, top leaders of the Congress, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi, discussed the issue on Tuesday.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who will be replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, also attended.

The meet took place also on the eve of the government's plan to make a statement in Parliament on the Taslima Nasreen issue which has set off a controversy.

Senior ministers Arjun Singh, A K Antony and Shivraj Patil as also Ahmed Patel, political secretary to the Congress President, are part of the core group.

The discussion has come at a time when the government has approached the International Atomic Energy Agency for discussing India-specific safeguards after securing the nod from the Left allies.

Moves to have a discussion on the deal during the Monsoon Session of Parliament failed to take off as the government remained under attack from the opposition parties as also its Left allies.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, as also the Third Front members, stalled proceedings for several days demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee.