(rptg, correcting garble in para two)

New Delhi, July 27 (UNI) The CPI, one of the Left parties supporting the UPA government from outside, today seemed to be softening its stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal, as it asserted it would not go for any joint resolution with the BJP in Parliament on the issue.

The CPI's top leadership had to do a lot of explaning to the newspersons, as they responded to a volley of questions on the issue, with they now holding they would be satisfied with the Prime Minister making an ''unambiguous and categorical statement'' on the issue, which was ''political and not economic.'' Addressing a press conference in the precincts of Parliament house, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said the PM would have to make a statement, removing misgivings among the Left and like-minded parties on the Indo-US deal. ''Our spending on the deal will be more than if we pursue our own nuclear programme,'' he noted.

A change in the Left's position could be seen in the context of the UPA reportedly telling them yesterday that any move to bring a resolution in Parliament on the ''sense of the house'' about the Indo-US deal would spell ''the end of the government.'' Senior CPI leader S Sudhakar Reddy told UNI that he was ''confident that the PM will make a categorical statment on the issue... Maybe then there will be no crisis.'' When pressed why the Left opposed a joint resolution with the BJP, in the larger interest, Mr Dasgupta contended that it would not be ''politically prudent'' for them.

When asked what exactly did the ''sense of the House'' imply, the CPI leader said answered that ''in their opinion, it would be reflected in the deliberations in the house.'' The CPI leaders, including party Chief Whip Ajay Chakravorty, also announced that an all-India strike by the trade unions, barring the INTUC and BMS will be organised on September 4 to protest against the govenrment's ''pernicious economic policies.'' Answering a specific query, they said the CPI would oppose the finacial bills the government proposed to bring in, including the Pension Bill and the Banking Regulatory Amendment Bill.

''We will vote against all such bills,'' they asserted.

They also took strong exception to the Textiles Ministry's moves to introduce 12 hours workday and the RBI's circular three days back that the nw entrants would be covered by a private market-driven Pension scheme.

''All these developments show that the goverment was 'bypassing the Parliament and carrying on economic reforms agenda through the backdoor,'' they said, adding that attempts were also being to ''dilute'' the Tribals Bill.

They also reminded the government of ''unnecessary delays'' in bringing in the legislation on Women's Reservation and social security provisions for 370 million workers of the unorganised sector.

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