M A I N   N E W S

Withdrawal of support inevitable: Bardhan

New Delhi, August 16
The CPI tonight put the UPA government on notice, saying the party is considering withdrawal of support to it on the issue of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal. “Withdrawal of support to the UPA government seems inevitable,” CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan told a television channel.

“We are discussing whether to vote the government out now or later,” the CPI leader said.

“The split with the UPA is only a matter of time. Our support was on the basis of the Common Minimum Programme, but the government deviated from it,” he said.

A vocal critic of the nucler pact, Bardhan said: “Earlier Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wanted to quit, but now he (PM) wants us to quit.”

The situation can be salvaged only if the government showed a willingness not to operationalise the 123 accord, he added.

“The honeymoon time is over. Now, it is only the question of filing for divorce,” he said. — UNI

CPM, CPI speak in two voices

Kolkata, August 16
The CPM today ruled out withdrawal of its support to the UPA government following the stand-off on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 16
On the eve of the crucial meeting of Left parties on the nuclear deal, Communists today warned the Manmohan Singh government not to take their support for granted.

“Don’t take the support of the Left for granted. The Left is a serious political force and reflects the concerns of the people. The government should understand this,” CPI leader D. Raja told reporters outside Parliament after the Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day on the issue.

“Despite this, if they go ahead with the deal, then we will decide what we can do,” he said.

While the CPI would be holding its national executive meeting here tomorrow, the CPM would be holding its two-day politburo meeting from Friday.

US state department spokesman Sean McCormack’s comments on nuclear testing and assertion by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha that Washington has not put any restraint on the country’s sovereign right to conduct a nuclear test, has further entangled the nuclear issue.

Gurudas Dasgupta of the CPI asked the UPA government “whether there is something more than unwritten than the agreement?”

Asked whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has misled Parliament, the CPI leader said: “If the US state department spokesperson’s comments had been reported correctly by the media, then the Prime Minister did not do the right thing.”

“A final decision (on the deal) will be taken after the politburo discusses the agreement,” a senior Left leader said. The repercussion of the widening gulf between the UPA and the Left on the deal will almost certainly be felt inside Parliament, but on other issues. The Left parties would be using their legislative strength to oppose any bill brought in Parliament that they are critical of.

Sources said the Left parties, unhappy with the Prime Minister’s statement daring them to withdraw their support to his government, are unlikely to break off their ties with the UPA but may scale down the level of cooperation with the government.

PM invites Buddha for dinner
Subhrangshu Gupta
Tribune News Service

Kolkata, August 16
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today invited West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for dinner tomorrow at his residence where he will try to explain to him about the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Manmohan Singh himself phoned Bhattacharjee and invited him for the talks.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister might be formally requesting the Chief Minister to persuade Prakash Karat, general secretary, CPM, and other leaders to give up their present “warring attitude” towards the UPA government.

The Prime Minister had already held talks with Karat in this regard but he failed to persuade him.

The meeting with Bhattacharjee would be another attempt by the Prime Minister for resolving the impasse.

However, Bhattacharjee today made it clear to Manmohan Singh that they would in no case endorse the decision of surrendering to the US lobby. He requested him to reopen talks with the Bush administration for amending the unacceptable provisions of the deal.