Left finds 'nothing new' in PM's statement on N-deal

New Delhi, Jul 3 (UNI) The Left parties today found 'nothing new' in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's clarifications in response to the Samajwadi Party's concerns on the Indo-US nuclear deal and reiterated their three-year-old stated opposition to the nuclear pact.

While CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said the PMO's statement late yesterday contained 'nothing new', CPI(M) senior leader Mohammad Salim said,'' It is incorrect to say that the N-deal would not affect India's autonomy on decision making and strategic programme.'' The Left leaders, while agreeing with the PM's observation that the ties with Iran are time honoured and civilisational in nature wanted to know why the UPA government sided with the US in the IAEA, when voting took place on Iran nuclear programme.

They said,'' Our government worked under outside pressure and deviated from the independent foreign policy in this case. Same was the case pertaining to India-Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline as the US did its best that the agreement did not get through.'' On the prospective revival of the third front in view of the Samajwadi Party's tilt towards the Congress, the CPI leader said the concept of the viable third alternative would take more time as it has to be based on an economic and political ideology and the mass-based struggles.

''This is not a political failure on our part. Besides, no effort is the last effort,'' he said.

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