The Left parties on Friday said the approval of the India-specific safeguards agreement by IAEA does not recognise India’s nuclear weapon status or protect its interests on issues like uninterrupted fuel supply assurances.Pointing out that former American pointsman on the Indo-US nuclear deal Nicholas Burns had stated that the 123 agreement was “absolutely consistent” with the Hyde Act, Left leaders said this clearly showed that their concerns were “totally true”.The Left parties, which withdrew support to the UPA government on the issue, would now “go to the people to expose the government”.“Burns had said that the Hyde Act will prevail but our government says the US law will have no impact. We have been opposing the deal because it is not in India’s interest and that is why we withdrew support. There is no change in the Left position,” CPI National Secretary D Raja told PTI.Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said “we are not getting the nuclear weapon status, either de facto or de jure. There are no assurances on uninterrupted fuel supply or recycling of fuel. The concerns expressed by Left parties have come true.” CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said his party would give a detailed reaction tomorrow.His RSP counterpart T J Chandrachoodan said the passage of the agreement in IAEA shows that the first chapter of the “great betrayal” was over.The Left leaders said they would soon launch a nationwide campaign on the issue, along with other parties like BSP, TDP, JD(S) and RLD.
