We will oppose Nuclear deal till the end: Karat

Chennai, Jul 17: Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Prakash Karat declared that the Left parties would continue their fight against the Indo-US nuclear deal, even if the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre wins the vote of confidence on July 22.

Addressing a public meeting here as part of the campaign launched by the Left parties to explain to the people why they withdrew support to the UPA government, he said even if the UPA government survived the trust vote, ''our struggle against the nuclear deal and its anti-people policies will continue.'' He said like the minority Narasimha Rao reginge, which had survived a no-confidence motion in 1993, this government might also succeed in the confidence motion, but when the election came, the Congress would pay a heavy price.

The Left parties had moved a no-confidence motion against the Narasimha Rao government in 1993 for its failure to protect the Babri Masjid, but the then minority government survived after it bribed the MPs of Jarkhand Mukti Morcha.

After the Left parties withdrew support, ''opportunist forces'', which had opposed the nuclear deal, have come to the rescue of Congress and hail the agreement, but they would be exposed at the time of elections, he warned.

Mr Karat said at the time of elections, the people would punish the Congress for the price rise, for pushing up the rate of inflation and for forging a strategic alliance with the US, surrendering the country's soverignty. Dismissing as a myth that the BJP was the only alternative for the Congress at the Centre, Mr Karat said the Left parties would initiate steps for the realignment of political forces and form a new front as an alternative to both the Congress and the BJP.

Stating that the Congress was a ''sinking ship'', he appealed to all the allies of the UPA to jump out of the sinking ship and join hands with the left parties to form a new front.

Accusing the Congress of betraying the people by going to the IAEA before seeking the confidence vote, Mr Karat said the Left would oppose tooth and nail, the deal, as long as it remained in the Hyde Act.

''As long as the 123 agreement remained on the Hyde Act, we will oppose it and ensure the deal do not come into force'', he said.

Rejecting Congress charge that the Left parties by withdrawing support were helping the BJP and other communal forces, he said the Congress had no locus standi to point an accusing finger against the Left parties on this count.

Mr Karat further said the Left parties continued its relentless fight against the BJP and communal forces and this was evident from the fact that no single MP or MLA could be elected from the three Left parties ruled states of West Bengal, Tirupura and Kerala. On the other hand, the Congress-led UPA has failed to combat the communal forces. In the last four and a half years, making use of the misrule of the UPA government, the BJP had won the Assembly elections in state after state and recently came to power in Karnataka, he said.

''The Congress cannot fight against the BJP and the communal forces by sitting in the lap of US imperialism'', he said.

Mr Karat said the UPA government had some credibility when it was supported by the Left parties. But the government betrayed the Left by failing to honour the Common Minimum Programe (CMP) and trying to make India as the military ally of the US.

CPI National Secretary D Raja said China and Japan had also signed similar 123 nuclear agreements with the US but they had made it clear that in the event of any problem, they would be referred to the International Arbitration and the International Law would prevail.

But in the case of India, it was declared that the US National law, which was Hyde Act would prevail. This went against the interest of India, he said.

The Left parties were not against the nuclear power, but against the UPA government's move to make the country as the military and strategic ally of the US, he said.

US President George Bush has already become a ''lame duck'' and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also becoming the sanse,'' he said.

UNI