Click to play videoPrime Minister Manmohan Singh says he's ready for a post-poll tie-up with Left, but not at the cost of giving up the Indo-US civil nuclear deal. In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN's Suhasini Haidar, Manmohan speaks on many issues including the recently revived Bofors scam.
The Prime Minister says Ottavio Quattrocchi could not be harassed forever, adding that the entire episode was an embarrassment to the Government. He also reveals that India was close to an agreement with former Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf on all Indo-Pak issues, including Kashmir.
Suhasini Haidar: Thanks for joining us on CNN-IBN. Three phases down, how confident are you that the UPA will form the next government?
Manmohan Singh: I am pretty confident that when the end result is known, the UPA-Congress led will form the government at the Centre.
Suhasini Haidar: But if you're short of numbers would you reach out to the Left parties?
Manmohan Singh: Politics is the art of the possible. Who do we reach out to and who do we not reach this is a matter we can only talk about when the election results are known.
We have worked with the Left before… for four years they were our partners. I have enjoyed working with the Left. I have many friends. I think Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is a very good friend of mine.
Suhasini Haidar: You say politics is the art of the possible but if you were to take support from the Left, would you be prepared to give up operationalising the deal?
Manmohan Singh: There is no question of giving up the deal. That situation will not arise. But no patriotic Indian would suggest that a deal that required so much hard work, ended India’s nuclear isolation at tremendous cost when the chips are down. I don't think any serious-minded Indian party would ask that we should annul the deal.
Suhasini Haidar: It’s nearly a year since the deal and Indians haven't seen its benefits. Was it really worth it losing the Left parties?
Manmohan Singh: It's definitely worth it - still many processes to go....US, France IAEA, NSG, it is only when they are completed you will see some beneficial result- already there are offers of thousands of watts of power, and uranium.
Suhasini Haidar: Apart from the Left, what if your other alliance partners don't do so well- would you be willing to reach out to others-Nitish, Jayalalithaa?
Manmohan Singh: We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Situation is much too fluid.
Suhasini Haidar: As PM you tried very hard to better relations with Pakistan. And yet today those are at their lowest ebb in five years. Could it have been avoided?
Manmohan Singh: It was avoidable if Pakistan had a strong purposeful government. I have always believed a strong peaceful moderate Pakistan is in India's interests. We worked very hard on that and in fact I and Gen Musharraf had reached nearly an agreement, a non-territorial solution to all problems but then General Musharraf got into many difficulties with the Chief Justice and other fronts and therefore the whole process came to a halt. I still believe we have no ill will towards Pakistan-Our only concern is Pakistan should cooperate with us not allowing the territory of Pakistan to be used for acts of terror. We wish the govt well- I've often said we can choose our friends but not our neighbours.
Suhasini Haidar: As PM do you have regrets about things you couldn’t do in your first term which you would like to do in your second term?
Manmohan Singh: I'd like to work on agriculture, education, rural health.
Suhasini Haidar: Looking back five years tell us a bit about the moment you found out you would be PM.
Manmohan Singh: Mrs Gandhi told me 48 hours before. I tried to resist, to argue that she was the best person to unify the party. I told her I had my limitations that I have no mass following, but she said no she had looked around and I would have to undertake the responsibility and the faith she gave me added to the burden of the office I was going to assume.
Suhasini Haidar: Looking into the future… if you are re-elected PM, would you like to finish the entire term, or would you maybe midterm think about handing it over to someone else obviously everyone would think Rahul Gandhi?
Manmohan Singh: I have said Rahul Gandhi has all the qualities a good PM should have. I certainly at some stage would like the seat of power should be in the hands of younger people than I am.
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