US pressure on 123 pact, gas pipeline irk Left

New Delhi, May 2: Left parties today asked the UPA government to stick to its commitment to Parliament on the Indo-US nuclear deal, saying bowing to the US pressure would not only threaten the country's energy sovereignty but also political independence.

Referring to the lingering difficulty being faced by the top Indian officials of India and the US to iron out differences, the top leaders of the CPI and CPI(M) said this development could easily be anticipated in the backdrop of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's commitment to safeguard national interests in Parliament.

Amid growing ''frustration'' in Washington over talks on a bilateral pact to operationalise the civil nuclear deal, top officials of India and the US met in Washington yesterday to iron out differences that have been nagging the talks for last few months.

India's instance on the right to reprocess spent nuclear fuel and perennial cooperation even if it were to conduct an atomic test are among the differences the two sides are reportedly seeking to wriggle out of.

CPI leaders A B Bardhan and Shamim Faizi said the reports about hurdles in reaching the 123 agreement was not surprising at all. ''Actually if India sticks to the assurance made by the Prime Minister in Parliament, the US will find it difficult to conclude the pact.'' The CPI leaders said the law passed by the US Congress and the Senate put many conditions to which India should accede to. ''If accepted, it will affect our energy sovereignty as well as our political independence.'' The nation, the Left leaders said, hoped that Indian negotiators for the 123 agreement would in no way give in to the pressure tactics being employed by the Bush administration.

CPI(M) veteran and Polit Bureau member M K Pandhe said it is true that if the the Indian negotiators kept in their mind the PM's assurance to the nation, they would find it ''nearly impossible'' to clinch the deal.

''Only their sticking to the PM's position as displayed in the Parliament is creating difficulties in reaching the agreement,'' Mr Pandhe said.

The CPI(M) leader asserted that India could never agree to the condition that they would not conduct atomic test.

He also emphasised that if the deal did not go through, India had nothing to lose.

Forward Bloc National Secretary G Devrajan said besides, India's moratorium in this connection is ''voluntary'' but the US wanted to make it compulsory.

On the reported US pressure to stall the India-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline, the Left parties stressed that India should continue its efforts to make the trilateral pact a reality.

''India's energy requirements badly need the pipeline project to be completed,'' Mr Bardhan and Mr Faizi said, adding that this was possible if there was no outside pressure.

The CPI leaders said the top US officials opposed India joining such a venture. ''Ms Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State, has even threatened India of dire consequences if it goes ahead with the gas pipeline project,'' they added.

Mr Pandhe said the gas pipeline project is much needed for India.

''Besides, Iran wants to supply gas at much cheaper rate to us.

When our national interest demand so, there is no reason for us to give in to the US pressure.'' Another important fact in this connection is that our BHEL can develop atomic power plant, the CPI(M) leader said, adding that it might take little time, but we can do it.

UNI