Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is to discuss with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday the issue of deployment of Indian troops in Iraq for peacekeeping operations, a day ahead of a United States team's arrival in Delhi to clarify India's doubts on the issue.
Gandhi would be accompanied by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Manmohan Singh and chairman of the AICC's foreign affairs cell K Natwar Singh, sources said.
Last week, Gandhi had written to Vajpayee strongly opposing any move to deploy Indian troops in Iraq other than under United Nations aegis saying it would be violation of the fundamental principle of the country.
"I am writing to express the deep concern of the Congress party over reports that Indian troops are to be deployed in Iraq. The party would be totally opposed to the deployment of our troops under any arrangement other than a UN command or as part of a multi-national peacekeeping force that has the explicit mandate of the UN," she had said.
Gandhi said she would appreciate a clarification on the exact position of the National Democratic Alliance government as various statements in the media have not helped to 'shed any light' on the government's stand.
