CPI(M) criticises PM on N deal, rules out voting with BJP, UNPA

Hyderabad, Aug 11 (UNI) Even while accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for not fulfilling his assurances to Parliament on the Indo-US nuclear deal, CPI(M) Politbureau member Sitaram Yechury today ruled out his party pressing for voting along with the BJP and the UNPA on the issue.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the party would not ''pull down'' the UPA government despite serious reservations over the 123 agreement. ''No purpose will be served by bringing down the government. Even if the government fell, the agreement will stand.'' He said the party would, however, question the Prime Minister for ''not fulfilling'' his assurance to Parliament to ''protect national interest''.

Even as the BJP and UNPA decided to raise the issue under Rule 184, which entails voting, Mr Yechury ruled out his party pressing for voting, a day after CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu had stated that the party would stage a walkout if there was vote on the 123 agreement.

Under the agreement, access to dual use technology, including nuclear fuel enrichment, was denied to India even now and the clause on termination of the 123 agreement was heavily-loaded in favour of the US, he alleged, adding that the termination of the agreement would be guided by the supremacy of US national law.

The CPI(M) would exert pressure on the UPA government to address their concerns before signing India-specific protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the agreement with the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), he asserted.

Coinciding with the joint naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal by US, Japan, Singapore and India, two 'jathas', one from Kolkata and another from Chennai, would start on September 4 and converge in Visakhapatnam on September 9 to protest against the deal.

On the Prime Minister's reported ''threat'' to resign on the issue, he made it clear that the issue was not connected with any personality but with policies.

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