Left has no courage to respond to PM's rebuke: BJP

New Delhi, Aug 11 (UNI) The BJP today mocked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement daring the Left plainly to withdraw support to the UPA Government if they wanted to, over the 123 Agreement, saying he ''knows fully well that the Left ''only barks, never bites.'' Refering to the PM's exclusive interview in a daily, the party also expressed its surprise over the courage shown by the Prime Minister, ''even though he prefers to keep quiet over the manner of "murder of democracy" in Goa and over what had happened in Bihar and Jharkhand.'' ''The hypocrisy and double-standards of the Left are legendary and well known since the freedom struggle. Therefore the BJP was sure that the Left would continue to be with the Government and there was no question that it would "bite" and withdraw support to the UPA Government,'' BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

In the interview, the Prime Minister said he had told the Left that it was not possible to renegotiate the deal. ''It is an honourable deal, the cabinet has approved it, we cannot go back on it. I told them to to do whatever they want to do, if they want to withdraw support, so be it...'' After the Prime Minister's statement ''the ball is now in the court of the Left and they should demonstrate that they ''not only bark but bite also,'' Mr Prasad called on the Left to take up the challenged and "bite" for the national interest.

The party meanwhile cautioned that the proposed separation plan-- for civil and military nuclear installation--was fraught with serious consequences as nuclear inspectors, from several nations would have access to India's strategic installations.

UNI