New Delhi, July 4
The Left parties are not inclined to withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Tokyo to attend the G8 Summit.
The leaders of the four Left parties, namely Prakash Karat (CPM), A.B. Bardhan (CPI), T.J. Chandrachoodan (RSP) and Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc) met here on Friday.
They served an ultimatum on convener of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal Pranab Mukherjee asking him to state clearly by July 7 if and when the government proposed to go to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to sign the nuclear safeguards agreement. The Prime Minister is leaving for Tokyo on July 7.
Privately, they would not want to embarrass the Prime Minister while he is abroad “unless the
government replies to their letter before July 7 and insists on the deal,” said Left sources.
Nevertheless, on record the Left leaders would meet on July 8 and “will act on the reply to the letter that day,” said RSP general secretary T.J. Chandrachoodan soon after the Left meeting.
These leaders have already been authorised by their respective parties to jointly submit their withdrawal letter to President Pratibha Patil.
They, therefore, asked Mukherjee: “We wish to know definitely whether the government is proceeding to seek the approval of the safeguards agreement by the Board of Governors of the IAEA. Please let us know the position by July 7.” The Left letter mentioned the different statements of the ministers asserting the government intent about the deal and said, “Various pronouncements are being made by leaders of the ruling coalition and some Union ministers that the government is going ahead with the nuclear deal.”
According to Left sources there was some disagreement on the timing of the withdrawal of support and Karat pointed out that they had already committed to withdrawing support only when the government approached the IAEA for signing the nuclear safeguards agreement.
But there were others like Chandrachoodan, who felt that once the Prime Minister was going to Tokyo knowing fully well that the Left was going to pull support there was no need to indulge in niceties.
However, a view emerged in the meeting that if the Left withdrew support during the Prime Minister’s visit to Tokyo, the Left baiter would go to the town and it may only bring bad publicity to the Left.
Simultaneously, the Left also announced its intent to launch an nationwide campaign from July 14 to explain to the people their opposition to the nuclear deal and anti-people policies, and the government’s refusal to take appropriate measures to tackle runaway inflation.
“The Left parties will also expose BJP/NDA efforts to whip up communal polarisation for electoral gains,” said a joint statement. They also appealed to all other secular forces, “To join us in this endeavour.”
