|
|
|
Rate the Story
|
|
|
|
NDTV Active
|
To read the biggest stories of the day on your mobile, type
mobile.ndtv.com on your phone browser.
|
|
|
|
| Forums |
|
The signing of the N-deal bill will herald a new era in Indo-US relations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CPI(M) softens stand on N-deal
NDTV Correspondent
Thursday, August 23, 2007, (New Delhi)
It appears that the CPI(M) has softened its rhetoric towards the stand-off with the government.
The CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said at a press conference on Thursday that the Left did not want the crisis over the Indo-US nuclear deal to affect the government.
At the same time the CPI(M) made it clear that it is still opposed to the nuclear deal being operationalised and the government's future depended on the government itself.
Earlier, the Central Committee of the CPI(M) had endorsed the party Politburo's opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal and authorised it to do whatever it can to block the deal.
This means if the politburo decides on withdrawing support in the event of the government going ahead with negotiations with the IAEA it will have the party's full backing.
"Central Committee has said that we do not want to destabilise the government, but all the responsibility is theirs," said Prakash Karat, General Secretary, CPI(M).
The Politburo had warned the government of serious consequences if it went ahead with negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency and Nuclear Suppliers Group.
The Left has also made it clear that the government can go to the coming meeting of the IAEA in Vienna, but cannot talk about the 123 deal.
Also the Left parties plan to hold nationwide agitation from 1-16 September highlighting the adverse consequences on Indo-US nuclear deal and Indo-US strategic alliance.
The Left now is waiting for a decision from the Congress leadership.
However, despite all the dire warnings by the Left, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stood firm on India going ahead with Indo-US nuclear deal.
In a joint press conference with the visiting Japanese prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh made it clear that India will go to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a necessary step for the nuke deal to go through.
"Certainly true that we have some turbulence but I have confidence we shall be able to over come it. When winter comes spring cannot be far behind," said Singh.
But the Left has decided to wait till the government spells out its stand on negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Left sources made it clear to NDTV that they would announce their plans on the future of their ties with the UPA only after a clear statement from the government.
Which means all eyes will be on September 18 when the Atomic Energy Commission chief Anil Kakodkar travels to Vienna to attend the IAEA meeting.
Divisions within Left
The 85-member Central Committee of the CPI(M) on Wednesday began a two-day meet in the Capital to discuss the standoff with the government and it is expected to endorse the decision taken by the CPI(M) politburo.
The CPI(M) is making it absolutely clear that India can go to the IAEA meeting, the world atomic body, but it cannot talk about the 123 deal.
In other words, the support to the UPA government would be withdrawn if the government goes ahead and negotiates a safeguards agreement with the IAEA and the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Meanwhile, it's been decided, the debate on the Indo-US nuclear deal in Parliament will be held on August 29 and 30, first in the Lok Sabha and then Rajya Sabha.
But there seem to be divisions within the Left on the way forward. While a section believes that efforts should be made to resolve the crisis through dialogue, there are others who say the Left has no choice but to withdraw support.
On Monday, veteran communist leader Jyoti Basu had said that pulling down the government was not an option and that the crisis would be resolved through dialogue.
But the same day, another Polit Bureau member, MK Pandhe, had said the Left would not have any other option but to pull out.
|