Raising the pitch of the nuclear debate, Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal on Thursday said the government was committed to go ahead with the deal but would also address the Left parties' concerns on the issue.
"Where is the question"? Sibal said when asked if the government was considering going back on the deal.
"We have entered into an international agreement. We are committed to the deal, but we are also committed to addressing the Left's concerns on it," he said on the sidelines of a seminar on the nuclear deal organised by the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) in New Delhi.
Asserting that the nuclear deal would help fulfil the electricity demands of the country, Sibal said "it is not about Bush but bijli".
Earlier, addressing the seminar, which was attended by members of DPCC, the senior Congress leader said "we need to get this message across to the entire country that it is the common man who will benefit from the deal."
"It will be a big disfavour to the masses if we don't go ahead with the deal." Contending that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had explained the provisions of the deal very clearly in Parliament, Sibal said at that time the Left parties had not raised any objections.
{{/usCountry}}"It will be a big disfavour to the masses if we don't go ahead with the deal." Contending that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had explained the provisions of the deal very clearly in Parliament, Sibal said at that time the Left parties had not raised any objections.
{{/usCountry}}"The opposition NDA, which is vehemently opposing the deal, had itself initiated a strategic dialogue with the United States," he said.