Left parties set deadline for UPA

Fri, Jul 4 02:47 PM

New Delhi, July 4 (PTI) The Left parties, which have decided to withdraw support the moment the government proceeds to operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal, today set the deadline of July 7 for the ruling coalition to clarify whether it was going to the IAEA. "We wish to know definitely whether the government is proceeding to seek the approval of the safeguards agreement by the Board of Governors of the IAEA," a letter by the four Left parties to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said. "Please let us know the position by July seven," the letter signed by the general secretaries of CPI-M, CPI, RSP and Foward Bloc said after an hour-long meeting here.

They also decided to meet again on July 8 to consider the government's response to their letter, if any, and decide on the next step. In the letter, they pointed out that various pronouncements were being made by leaders of the ruling coalition and some union ministers that the government is going ahead with the deal.

The letter was released to the media by CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat in the presence of A B Bardhan (CPI), Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc) and T J Chandrachoodan (RSP). The parties also decided to launch a national campaign to explain to the people the reasons for their opposition to the nuclear deal.

The campaign will also focus on government's "refusal" to take appropriate steps to tackle the runaway inflation, back-breaking price rise and "anti-people" policies of UPA. "The second decision that the Left parties have taken is to launch a national campaign from July 14 and in this campaign we shall explain to the people our position on the nuclear deal," Karat said. PTI.

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