Manmohan Singh called Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the N-deal

Two days after Leader of Opposition L K Advani said that the Government had reached out to the BJP “too late” on the Indo-US nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today himself called on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Advani this evening.


Carrying with him an “open letter” to MPs by 23 eminent members of the strategic-scientific community who have backed the deal, Singh sought to underline that the deal poses no harm to the country’s strategic weapons programme.


In a 25-minute meeting on the eve of Parliament’s winter session — the PM’s meeting was set up today itself — Singh is said to have inquired about Vajpayee’s health and extended his belated Diwali greetings before bringing to his notice the open letter and, therefore, the broad support of the very community which backed the 1998 Pokharan nuclear tests.


For the record, the PMO spokesperson said: “In the course of the meeting, they discussed current political issues, including the nuclear deal.” However, the meeting assumes significance given recent moves by the Government to reach out to the Opposition after former National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra’s remarks that the UPA’s political leadership should have got in touch with the Opposition’s and that he would endorse the deal if the Government could convince



Courtesy:indianexpress.com
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