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CPI renews threat to govt over Indo-US nuke deal

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, May 15, IRNA
India-CPI-Nuke Deal
Ahead of the UPA-Left meet on the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Communisty Party of India (CPI) has renewed its threat to withdraw support if the government moved ahead on the issue.

"They will have to do it without us," party General Secretary A B Bardhan said when asked what the Left would do if the government ignored their objections and went ahead on the deal.

Asked whether the Left would move a no-confidence motion against the government in that case, he said: "it means nothing of that sort." To another question whether the Left would go with BJP if they moved such a motion, he said: "we generally don't" go with the saffron party. However, Bardhan added "if that happens, we will see at that time."

The veteran communist leader said this in an interview on Karan Thapar's 'India Tonight' programme on CNBC TV18.

The government had not signed any agreement or MoU with Russia or France, the deal (with Russia) was on the table when the Prime Minister visited Moscow, but was not signed, he said.

Dismissing the charge that the Left was opposing the Indo-US deal for ideological reasons, Bardhan said, it was nothing to do with ideology, but national interests, national sovereignty and an independent foreign policy.

He said the outside supporters would take a "hard" stand against the government on the nuclear deal as well as major issues like price rise and the agrarian crisis. "It will be a hard decision." However, he added that "you are forgetting that we are nine months away from elections. I don't see which political party will move a no- confidence motion when elections are just nine months away." Bardhan's statement came a week ahead of the four Left parties' meeting, which is likely to review the overall political situation and the government's "failure" on various fronts including price rise and the nuclear deal.

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