Deal in line with what PM told LS: Sonia

Amid hectic political developments over the India-United States civil nuclear energy cooperation, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday extended her full support to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue. 

Sonia said the agreement fulfilled all the assurances the prime minister gave repeatedly in Parliament.

"Our government has entered into this agreement after tough negotiations. The agreement fulfils all the assurances that the prime minister has given repeatedly in Parliament," she said addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, with Dr Singh by her side.

In the first CPP meeting after the row, Sonia said, "Objectives of the technological self-reliance and national sovereignty have been fully protected."

The Congress chief congratulated the prime minister and the team on "the accomplishment".

"We are a democracy and differences in views are inevitable, but informed debates and discussions are the answer," she said, with apparent reference to the Left criticism.

Her statement comes at a time when the Left parties, key supporters, have outrightly rejected the deal and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the Third Front are demanding voting in Parliament on the issue.