CPM to wait for IAEA talks, but some want n-deal scrapped

Even as the CPI(M) Central Committee resolved to wait for the report on the talks with the IAEA, some party members demanded that the Indo-US nuclear deal should be scrapped irrespective of the results of the safeguard talks.

“The Central Committee heard a report of the discussions on the Indo-US nuclear deal, which took place in the UPA-Left Committee. It endorsed the stand taken that after the talks with the IAEA for a safeguards agreement, the outcome will be placed before the UPA-Left Committee for its consideration before proceeding further with the agreement,” said a press release issued by the party after its three-day Central Committee meeting which ended here today. However, speaking to the media after the meeting, senior politburo member M K Pandhe said that “whatever be the outcome of the IAEA talks, the party will not allow the government to operationalise the deal.”

Many Central Committee members reiterated that the party had let the Centre go ahead with the IAEA talks because of the Gujarat polls. The CPM also said that “clear instructions should go out to the banking sector, oil companies and other business entities that doing business with Iran has the full backing of the government.” This, the party said, is the “least that should be done to restore confidence that India adheres to an independent foreign policy.”

The political resolution will also review the performance of the UPA Government. CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said: “There many issues in the Common Minimum Programme that need to be materialised, like greater allocation for education and the health sectors.”