BJP dares Left to apply ''power brake'' on UPA

Bangalore, Aug 18 (UNI) The BJP today dared the Left parties to apply a ''power brake'' on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government on the Indo-US Nuclear agreement and enforce amendments to the deal.

Talking to newspersons here, senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said the Left parties would face an ''agni pariksha'' (fire test) on ''anu pariksha'' (nuclear tests) during the Parliamentary debate on the Indo-US deal and they have to apply the power breaks'' to stop the government from the implementation of the agreement instead of their routine ''speed brakes.'' The nuclear pact was not a political issue but an issue that concerned the sovereignty, security and democracy of the country, he said alleging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had ''misled the country and betrayed the country's interests, bowing down to the US pressure''.

The Communist parties had miserably failed to safeguard the interest of the people during the entire 40-month regime of the UPA government with the Congress party taking both its alliance partners and the Left, for granted, he claimed, adding, despite being in a key position, the Left had ''failed'' to secure any benefit for the common man.

With the cat out of the bag, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to sidetrack the issue, had come out with statements like that someone was doing ''havan'' to finish him. No one from the BJP would do such things, it could be the ''handiwork'' of some Congress leaders'' he alleged.

UNI