Nuclear deal a surrender to US: CPI(ML)

New Delhi, Apr 1: The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) today described the Indo-US nuclear deal as a ''surrender to imperialism'' and asserted the agreement cannot be taken in the spirit of a ''partnership'' as being projected by the UPA government.

Speaking at the 'Convention Against Bush-Manmohan Nuclear Deal' here, party leaders asked how India's interests could be at par with the US and dubbed President George Bush's statement ''What should be good for the people of US should be good for the people of India'' as ''humbug''.

''The way the Indian establishment is boasting about bringing 14 out of 22 Indian nuclear facilities under IAEA supervision and India's elevation to the Nuclear Big Club and a 100 billion dollar worth new opportunities in the India's energy sector will not serve any national interests,'' party leader Prof O P Yadav said.

''An imperialist domination would also hit country's efforts to improve relations with other countries,'' he added.

Prof Nirmalansu Mukherjee said, ''India has developed its nuclear know-how independently but the deal has pushed the Indian nuclear facilities, both civil and military, under the exclusive hegemony of the US.'' Elaborating on how the deal might affect India's relations with its neighbours, Mr P K Shahi said, ''The government and bureaucracy have not bothered how this deal will affect its relationship with immediate neighbours and it has totally ignored SAARC countries as well as Myanmar.'' The government did not paid heed to the fact that the deal might be a part of the US strategy to utilise India as a counter-balance to China's growing economic and military might, he added.

Another CPI-ML leader Mr Ajit Jha said it was strange that the UPA government was able to sign the agreement despite the fact the Left parties were part of the ruling coalition and without much ''opposition'' even from the BJP.

He claimed the deal ''bodes ill'' for the country as well as the ''toiling masses.''

UNI

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