New Delhi, August 28
After beating about the bush on the mechanism to address the concerns over the nuclear deal, Communist Party of India today laid out the issues it wants the Manmohan Singh government to clarify on the 123 agreement.
At the same time, the CPI made it clear it has “no intention to disturb the UPA government and force immediate election.”
The party said the government should not go ahead with its negotiations with the IAEA or take the next step to ‘operationalise’ the agreement while discussions about the mechanism are on.
CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan expressed his displeasure over the failure of the Manmohan Singh government to take the Left parties, who support the government from outside, into confidence before finalising the 123 agreement with Washington.
The National Executive of the party, which met today, finalised the issues that the “political” mechanism should address and clear the concerns expressed by the Communists on the deal.
Bardhan said we have five to six pointed questions, which this mechanism should address and legal experts, scientists, and diplomats, could be consulted, as some of the issue involved are technical in nature.
“What is the impact of Hyde Act on the 123 agreement? What influence would the agreement have on our foreign policy and should our foreign policy be in tune with those of the US? Would the agreement have any impact on India’s own nuclear programme, including the strategic programme? Does this agreement bind India in a strategic alliance with US and, in the present world order, what impact would such an alliance have on the question of Middle East and other places and on the economy?” he asked.
Bardhan asked the government to state on the “cost effectiveness of nuclear energy” as the agreement is being touted as providing energy
security.
He said the nuclear energy would be meeting seven per cent of the country’s demand by 2020, which is an increase of a meagre four per cent from the present. The CPI leader asked what happens to our hydro, thermal and gas-based energy resources. He also wanted the mechanism to clear the air on the economic sustainability of the nuclear energy to meet the growing demands of the country.
Bardhan asked the Manmohan Singh government to state what sort of safeguards it plans to negotiate with the IAEA, as the Hyde Act provides for annual certification by
the US President to the Congress.
