Left, Oppn want US envoy recalled

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New Delhi: US Ambassador David Mulford may have apologised for his remarks on India's vote at Iran later this week, but the political storm raised about his comments of the Indo-US nuclear deal is showing no signs of easing out.

Pressure is now building up on the Government to act on the Mulford issue.

The BJP has demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the issue while the Left has demanded that Mulford be recalled.

The Government has already summoned him and conveyed its strong displeasure over the remarks.

Former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had also accused the US diplomat of denigrating his host country by his remarks.

Mulford had remarked that India must vote with the US at the IAEA vote where Iran could be referred to the Security Council for its nuclear programme.

He warned that unless India did that, the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal would die in the US Congress.

Criticism of Mulford across the political spectrum followed - the Left parties have already said they would withdraw support from the UPA if it went with the US.

The basic demand of the dissenters - both the Left and the BJP - is that the Government should take political parties into confidence.

However, since the damage has already been done, Centre is under pressure from both quarters.