New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would discuss with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on June 15 the issue of deployment of Indian troops in Iraq for peace keeping operations, a day ahead of a U S team's arrival in New Delhi to give some clarifications to government on the issue.

Gandhi would be accompanied by leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Manmohan Singh and chairman of AICC's (All India Congress Committee) foreign affairs department K Natwar Singh, sources said.

Last week, Gandhi had written a letter to Vajpayee strongly opposing any move to deploy Indian troops in Iraq other than under the UN 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 peace keeping 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 NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government as various statements in the media have not helped to "shed any light" on the government's stand.

PTI