Efforts on to reach consensus on N-deal: Left

The Left also says there was "nothing wrong" in Cong chief Sonia Gandhi's reference to Left concerns over the deal in her speech in New York.

The CPI-M on Wednesday said efforts were on to "reach a consensus" with the UPA government over the Indo-US nuclear deal in the next two rounds of talks and there was "nothing wrong" in Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's reference to Left concerns over the deal in her speech in New York.

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She (Gandhi) has said nothing wrong. She said there are issues (relating to the deal) on which discussions are going on. We have to respect different views..," party General Secretary Prakash Karat said told reporters in Bhopal.

Speaking at a gathering of Indian-Americans in New York on Monday, Gandhi had sought to play down Left's concerns on the deal, saying they were not a cause for "alarm".

Karat admitted that "differences" existed between the UPA Government and the Left parties, providing crucial outside support to the ruling coalition, over the deal, and said "we are trying to reach a consensus." Asked when is the UPA-Left combine expected to reach a consensus on the deal, Karat said "the (UPA-Left) committee would be meeting on October 5... When the date for next meeting will also be decided. We are trying to arrive at a consensus (on the deal) in the next two meetings." He was here to attend a condolence meet organised in the memory of Madhya Pradesh CPI-M Secretary B S Dhakad.