|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nuke deal: CP(M) rejects compromise formula
NDTV Correspondent
Monday, October 08, 2007, (New Delhi)
A day ahead of the crucial Left-UPA meeting on the Indo-US nuclear deal, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee met CP(M) leaders.
During their meeting, Mukherjee proposed a compromise formula to the Left.
He asked them to let the government go ahead with talks with the IAEA, while assuring that whatever is agreed between India and the IAEA will not be final because there is opposition to the deal within India.
But the CP(M) team that met Mukherjee rejected the new formula and once again reiterated that if India approaches the IAEA, the CPM will withdraw support.
Thereafter, CPI(M) leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury met Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Besides the external affairs minister, senior Congress leaders and Defense Minister AK Antony along with Political Secretary to AICC President Ahmed Patel also attended the meeting at Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence.
Sources say that even during that meeting there has been no real breakthrough, despite the Congress offering to discuss all issues with the Left before finalising anything at the IAEA.
UPA-Left Committee meet
Amid this raging battle, the Left and the ruling UPA are slated to meet on Tuesday to deliberate on the impact of the US domestic law and the nuclear deal on India's foreign and security policies.
Both sides have already exchanged notes on the subject to be taken up for discussion on Tuesday by the 15-member UPA-Left Committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
In their note, the four parties supporting the Congress-led coalition from outside have asked the government whether it can assure that India's foreign and security policies would not be compromised with the global American interests due to the Indo-US defence and nuclear agreements.
The Left parties have referred to the provisions of the US domestic law that the annual certification of the 123 Agreement by the US President would follow only if India's foreign policy was "congruent" to American interests.
The stand taken by the government on Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestinian issue, Look-East policy, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Non-Aligned Movement have also been questioned by the Left parties.
Joint statement by Left
Earlier, responding to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's remarks on the deal, the Left parties have come out with a joint statement.
During a rally in Haryana on Sunday, Gandhi had said that opponents of the nuclear deal were the opponents of progress.
In reply, the statement by the Left parties said that, "Those who advocate the deal should know that India is capable of developing nuclear energy primarily on a self-reliant basis."
The Left also reiterated that the nuclear deal was against India's interests, saying that India need not surrender its vital interests to the US.
Earlier, the Congress party had clarified that Gandhi's remarks were only in the context of the political situation in Haryana.
It was a late night clarification from the Congress party after Left leaders said that if there were elections, then the Congress will be responsible for it.
Sonia's remarks were seen as a direct attack on the Left and perhaps a sign that elections are near.
The CPI(M) Politbureau meet is expected soon after the UPA-Left committee meet on October 9, according to CPI(M) sources.
Jyoti Basu's appeal
In the midst of war of words, Marxist veteran Jyoti Basu on Monday said his party leadership should see if it was possible to work out a compromise on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Referring to Gandhi's speech on Sunday, he said if she wanted elections, they were also ready though they did not favour it.
"I have spoken to (Prakash) Karat and (Sitaram) Yechury after the meeting with Pranab Mukherjee. I told them to listen to what he (Mukherjee) had to say, to see if it is possible to work out a compromise," Basu told reporters in Kolkata.
He was referring to his meeting with Mukherjee in Kolkata on Sunday in which Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and party leader Biman Bose were also present.
On Gandhi's attack on the opponents of the nuclear deal, Basu said that "Sonia had made a good speech in New York. I don't know why she has changed her tone now. If she wants elections, we are ready," Basu said.
However, he added that he did not favour elections at the moment. (With PTI Inputs)
|