Mulayam betrayed Left thrice, helped BJP: Karat

New Delhi, Jul 20 (UNI) Taking umbrage at Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav challenging the secular credentials of the Left parties, the CPI(M) today recalled his ''three betrayals'' and that each time he helped communal forces.

''Unhonne CPI(M) aur Left parties ke saath vishwatghat kiya hai (Indeed, he has stabbed the CPI(M) and other Left parties in the back),'' CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told a news conference.

Mr Karat reacted sharply to Mr Yadav's charge that the Left was siding with the communal forces, saying he had levelled the charge when he told the mediapersons this noon that ''Today Lal Krishna Advani and lal(red) flag have come together... after Babri Masjid, the Red Fort and Parliament will be the next targets,'' he claimed.

He recounted the three incidents, the first relating to 1989, which according to him, sabotaged the secular parties consensus on forming their government by withdrawing support and the subsequent formation of a BJP government, secondly in 2002 when he broke the People's Front on the issue of support to former President K R Naraynan for a second term and now throwing his weight behind the Indo-US nuclear deal when the Left and his party had jointly opposed the pact in and outside Parliament.

''Now, the SP and the Congress are supporting US President George Bush,'' the marxist leader alleged.

To the SP supremo remark that the BJP and the Left were on the same side on the pact, Mr Karat said the issue did not relate to the BJP at all.

''On the contrary, Mr Advani had advocated the strategic partnership with the US...,'' Mr Karat said.

Mr Yadav had lost a ''place of honour'' which he had achieved by leading the secular forces in their fight against the communal and divisive forces.

''He owes an explanation to the people and the country as to why he betrayed them,'' Mr Karat added.

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