New Delhi: As the Iran nuclear issue comes up in the IAEA, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will clarify India's stand on in Parliament on Monday.
The UPA Government is making all-out efforts to build a consensus on the issue even as Opposition and Left parties gear up for a stormy session in the House.
The Left parties had taken strong exception to India voting against Iran twice at the IAEA.
On February 4, after the second vote, when the UN nuclear watchdog decided to report the matter to the UNSC, Left parties warned the Government to either vote against any resolution against Iran at the IAEA, or in the least, abstain from voting.
UPA's rising concerns can be gauged from the fact that Manmohan Singh spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday night to check on the state of play regarding Tehran's negotiations on nuclear enrichment.
Singh advocated greater restraint towards Iran and told Bush that India did not want another nuclear weapons state in its neighbourhood, but punitive action like sanctions and excessive pressure should not be placed on Tehran.
An official statement issued on Sunday evening by the Prime Minister’s office said in the 20-minute telephonic conversation, the two leaders “exchanged views” in context of Monday’s crucial meeting of the board of governors of the IAEA, besides several other issues including the Indo-US nuclear deal as well as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov's visit next fortnight.
"The Prime Minister welcomed Russia’s efforts to address the issue related to Iran's nuclear programme through dialogue and consultations," the official press note said.
The Prime Minister had discussed the topic with the US President George Bush as well and is believed to have asked him not to push Iran into a corner.
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