PM to make suo motu statement on nuke deal

With the government under attack on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will make a suo motu statement on the accord in Parliament on August 13.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi made the announcement in New Delhi on Wednesday.

He said Singh's statement would also focus on the understanding of the 123 agreement.

The announcement comes a day after government's plans on evolving a consensus on the nuclear deal ran into rough weather with the left allies rejecting it and saying it should not be operationalised.

Ahead of the monsoon session beginning on Friday when BJP plans to arraign the government on the 123 agreement between India and the US demanding a vote, government has already indicated that it was ready to discuss the issue in any form to be decided by the presiding officers.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has already rejected the deal and sought a joint parliamentary committee to go into it after which parliamentary approval is necessary to operationalise the deal.

The party plans to move a motion on the deal under a rule which will force a vote in Lok Sabha.

The Third Front, formally known as United National Progressive Alliance, has already opposed the deal.