UPA wins trust vote in Lok Sabha with a margin of 19 votes; Dr. Singh describes outcome as a convincing victory; Menon: India will manage a “clear and unconditional exemption” from the NSG; China not to be a stumbling block for safeguards agreement
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  • The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh won the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha on July 22. The UPA and its allies managed to garner 275 votes as against the opposition, which secured 256 votes. As many as 10 members were either absent or abstained from voting1. Prime Minister Singh described the outcome as “a convincing victory” for the UPA government, the Congress and its supporting parties and noted that the victory would “send a message to the world at large that India is prepared to take its rightful place in the comity of nations.”

    Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon meanwhile, who had recently visited Vienna to interact with the IAEA board members and representatives of the NSG member countries, expressed his confidence that reservations of some countries regarding the deal would be overcome. Menon added that India would manage a “clear and unconditional exemption” from the Nuclear Supplier Group2.

    China, an important member at the IAEA Board as well as the NSG, has on its part indicated that it may not be a stumbling block when the safeguards accord came up before the IAEA for approval3.

    In other developments, Joseph R. Biden, Democratic chairman of the powerful US Senate Foreign Relations Committee asserted that he would push the India-US nuclear deal in the Congress “like the devil.” He however expressed fears that the passage of the deal was going to be “very, very tight4.”

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