In the government's first reaction to a call by the leader of the largest left-wing party for talks on the deal to be stopped, Singh said he would stick to a plan conditionally approved by the communists earlier to push the landmark pact.

"The process is under way, we will take a step ahead," Singh told a news conference in the western city of Ahmedabad, adding that the government was negotiating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after the communists had approved it.

Asked about communist leader Prakash Karat's threat to prepare for elections if the negotiations were not stopped, Singh said: "We will cross the bridge when we are there."

Karat, general-secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), told a party meeting on Saturday that the government would be asked to stop negotiations with the IAEA. He said the issue had to be closed by the end of December.

"If they go ahead then we will have to prepare for elections," Karat said.


Agencies

Güncelleme Tarihi: 12 Aralık 2007, 11:22