Left asks Govt to clarify on N-deal, mulls timing of pull-out

CPI's A B Bardhan has already made it clear that there are 'no two opinions' about Left's decision to withdraw.

With political activity over the nuclear deal reaching a crescendo, top Left party leaders met in New Delhi on Friday for a brainstorming session to work out the timing and modalities of withdrawing support to the UPA Government over the issue.

The Left Coordination Committee meeting, which began at the CPI(M) Headquarters, is being attended by CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, his CPI counterpart A B Bardhan and other senior leaders, including Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), RSP leaders T J Chandrachoodan and Abani Roy and Forward Bloc’s Debabrata Biswas and G Devarajan.

The meeting is expected to ask the Government to clearly spell out when it is going to the Board of Governors of the IAEA for finalising the safeguards agreement. It is also expected to discuss the fallout of Thursday’s meeting of the UNPA.

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“The question is not whether they are going (to IAEA). The fact that they are going ahead is clear, but when is the question,” Bardhan said on Thursday, noting that there were “no two opinions” about the Left decision to withdraw support.

The top CPI leader said, “modalities will be decided (in the meeting)… we have to write to the President (to declare withdrawal of support)…all these things will be decided.”

However, RSP and Forward Bloc are expected to ask the Committee to immediately announce the pullout as “there was no point in waiting” till the Government announces its decision to go ahead with the nuclear deal.

A senior Left leader said the parties will come up with a “charge-sheet” against the UPA citing its several drawbacks and failures, including “surrendering of national interest, rising prices and inflation and un-kept promises with regard to the Common Minimum Programme.”