PM's fresh offer on N-deal fails to convince Left

New Delhi, July 1 (PTI) - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's
offer to come to Parliament before operationalising the
nuclear deal did not cut much ice with the Left parties
Monday, which said they would withdraw support the moment it
goes ahead on the agreement.

The common refrain of the four Left parties -- Communist
Party India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Revolutionary
Socialist Party and Forward Bloc -- was that there was
"nothing new" in Singh's statement and that he was trying to
present a "fait accompli" before the Parliament by pleading
for permission to complete negotiations with IAEA and NSG.

The top leaderships of CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc are
meeting in the capital on July three separately to finalise
their move in the event of Government moving ahead with the
deal. The CPI(M) Politburo had met Sunday and decided to
withdraw support to UPA as soon as steps are initiated to
implement the deal.

"There is nothing new (in the Prime Minister's
assurance). Our Politburo's stand is very clear," CPI(M)
General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters soon after
Singh made the remarks.

Singh told senior journalists here that he was only
seeking a nod to go to IAEA and NSG and after all processes
are completed, he would come back to Parliament to get its
approval before operationalising the agreement.

Left leaders expect that the Government will formally
apprise the UPA-Left Committee and await its findings before
going ahead to IAEA.

"The Prime Minister has said there is nothing new in the
Left stand. We are saying there is nothing new in PM's stand
as well," CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said
reacting to Singh's comments.

"If they move ahead formally to sign the safeguards
agreement with IAEA, we will then implement our Politburo
decision to withdraw support," Yechury said, adding they would
see what the government does.

He said the Prime Minister has time and again given
statements about returning to Parliament after completing the
processes like signing safeguards agreement with IAEA, getting
a waiver from the NSG and an endorsement by the US Congress.

But when he comes back to Parliament, "it will be more
difficult to stop the agreement. They will say the whole world
is in favour of the deal," he said, adding that the government
and Left have divergent views on the issue.

On Singh's remarks about coming back to Parliament after
clearing the IAEA and NSG hurdles, CPI National Secretary D.
Raja said, "what will be left to discuss in Parliament. He is
trying to present a fait accompli before the Parliament."

Terming Singh's statement as "political deceit", RSP
General Secretary T. J. Chandrachoodan said the Prime
Minister's formula of coming back to Parliament for discussion
did not mean anything as the deal will be virtually
operationalised as it clears the US Congress.

"If they (Congress) think that they can tie the Left at
their stable, they are mistaken. Once the deal is discussed
at the IAEA, NSG and US Congress, the deal is on. Then there
is no role for us and the Government cannot change anything.

"The Prime Minister's remarks are an indication that the
government is moving ahead and that there will be an
inevitable separation of the UPA and the Left," he said.

Chandrachoodan wondered how a minority government could
go ahead with the deal in the event of Left parties
withdrawing support to the coalition on the nuclear issue.

Forward Bloc Secretary G. Devarajan said Singh's
statement arose out of a "misconception" about the Left
parties.

"It seems that the Prime Minister does not know the Left
parties very well. They take a decision on any issue after
giving it a lot of thought. Once a decision is taken, normally
we don't go back and in nuclear deal also, we are not changing
our stand," he said.

"For us, the deal is not a technical issue, it is a
political question," he said.

Alleging that the UPA has become a "one-issue"
government, he said that the Government appears not concerned
about rising prices and inflation.

A senior Left leader said the Congress did not seem
inclined to have an "acrimonious" separation on the issue as
they feel that they could need the Left parties' support after
the elections.

"The UPA wants another UPA-Left meeting and we expect
them to present the proposal for going ahead with the deal
which will force us to withdraw," the leader said. PTI