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Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
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Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Sunday, Aug 19, 2007 ePaper |
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Foreign Relations Industry & Economy - Power Government - Politics ‘Hold nuclear deal till doubts are cleared’
Warning signal: Mr Prakash Karat, General Secretary, CPI(M), addressing media after a meeting with the Prime Minister in New Delhi on Saturday. —
Our Bureau New Delhi, Aug.18 In a toughening of its position on the Indo-US nuclear agreement, the CPI(M) on Saturday warned the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government of “serious consequences” if it went ahead with operationalising the deal. Briefing newspersons here, the CPI(M) General Secretary, Mr Prakash Karat, said that the party’s Polit Bureau was of the “firm opinion” that the Government, having already entered into the deal, should not take the next step of negotiating any safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Article 5 of the deal requires the country to negotiate an India-specific agreement with IAEA placing its civilian nuclear facilities under safeguards “in perpetuity”. Mr Karat said that given the long-term implications of such conditions, “the democratic way will be to put the deal on hold till all doubts and apprehensions are clarified.” No majority support
Claiming that the majority in Parliament did not support the deal in its present form, he said there was a particular need to view the agreement in the light of the Hyde Act passed last year by the US Congress. When asked whether the CPI(M) would withdraw support to the Government, Mr Karat said that the Indo-US nuclear deal “should not be seen as a narrow party issue” as it concerns the entire country. “We have told the Congress leadership to seriously consider what our Polit Bureau has said. We hope they will discuss the matter and take an appropriate decision and get back to us.” Meeting the PM
Earlier in the day, following the conclusion of the two-day session of the Polit Bureau on the issue, Mr Karat met the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the UPA Chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, to convey the party’s resolution. Cong core group
The External Affairs Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Mr Sitaram Yechury were also present at the hour-long meeting, after which the main ruling party decided to summon its own ‘core group’ to consider the points raised by the CPI(M) leaders. Besides Ms Gandhi, Dr Singh and Mr Mukherjee, the ‘core group’ of the Congress includes senior Ministers such as Mr Shivraj Patil, Mr Arjun Singh and Mr A.K. Antony.
Related Stories: ‘India not bound by provisions of Hyde Act’ CPI(M) concern over independence of foreign policy Nuclear deal: ‘No compromise on India’s interests’ US stakes in nuclear deal Left keeps ‘options open’ on support to Govt More Stories on : Foreign Relations | Power | Politics
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