Indian Communists ease opposition to Indo-US nuke deal

Communists allied with the Indian government said Tuesday they would let the administration talk to the UN's atomic watchdog about a stalled nuclear deal with the US - if a key condition is met.

"We have said that if the government wants to start talks with the IAEA it can do so but it has to show us the text of the deal before signing it," Communist Party of India official D. Raja said, referring to International Atomic Energy Agency.

Indian communists propping up the Congress-led government have opposed the nuclear deal and threatened to topple the administration if went ahead with the pact, which helped to stall the accord.

But the televised statement by Raja, the communist party's national secretary, was seen as a significant concession.

New Delhi, Wednesday, AFP