August 13, 2007	Monday	Rajab 28, 1428

NEW DELHI, Aug 12: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, struggling to find parliamentary support for his nuclear deal with the United States, has said he was prepared to quit but would not abandon the controversial agreement.

Indian Express published Dr Singh's comments on Sunday, a day when former prime minister V.P. Singh too asked the prime minister to step down if he was not prepared to abandon the deal known as 123 Agreement.

“I told them (Left leaders) that it is not possible to renegotiate the deal. It is an honourable deal, the Cabinet has approved it, we cannot go back on it. I told them to do whatever they want to do, if they want to withdraw support, so be it,” Dr Singh was quoted as having said. “I don't get angry, I don't want to use harsh words. They are our colleagues and we have to work with them. But they also have to learn to work with us.”

Mr V.P. Singh on his part accused the UPA government of subverting democracy saying the deal was being opposed by a majority of MPs in the Lok Sabha. Dr Singh, he said, was thus ignoring the majority opinion to persist with the dubious understanding reached with Washington.

“I have highest regard for Manmohan Singh. He is a man of conscience. When it is clear that the majority of the MPs are against the deal on which he has staked his name, I am sure, his conscience will dictate him to resign,” the former prime minister said.

Dr Singh is due to make a statement on the deal on Monday, to be followed by a two-day debate. If there is voting on the issue the government could lose the contest though not necessarily fall. But Dr Singh would then have to shoulder the moral responsibility of accepting an unpopular agreement. His problems have been compounded by the refusal of his Left Front allies to accept the deal.

In fact, the Left Front, which lends crucial support to the UPA, on Sunday stepped up pressure on the government to not go ahead with the agreement it sees as a sell out to the United States.

“The UPA should consider the fact that it is running the government with the support of the Left,” CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said in Trivandrum, adding the Common Minimum Programme of the ruling alliance did not say a word about the strategic alliance with the United States.