Polit Bureau to decide on N-deal

New Delhi, Aug 23: The Central Committee of the CPI(M), the party's highest decision-making body, today authorised the Polit Bureau to take appropriate steps to block the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal, a move that threatens the survival of the UPA Government.

At the end of Central Committee's two-day emergency meeting, senior party leaders told the sources that ''the party is on the right track and we are determined to block the deal.'' The Central Committee endorsed the Polit Bureau's decision and asked the government to refrain from operationalising the pact or face ''serious political consequences''.

The Prime Minister had yesterday said he was confident that the ''turbulence'' over the nuclear deal would be overcome, but went on to seek Japan's support for the Indo-US nuclear agreement at the Nuclear Suppliers Group. ''It is nothing new that the Central Committee has endorsed the Polit Bureau's decision as it has been the general practice that the former takes the final call on such a crucial issue, which involves the political, economic and strategic sovereignty of the country,'' a senior CPI(M) leader said.

The Committee's decision, deliberated upon in the backdrop of the party Polit Bureau's two-day discussions, pointed to the Left orientation on the 123 Agrement, asking the UPA government to ''press the pause button'' on the deal.

The sources said the Committee members, while welcoming the Prime Minister's confidence that the ''turbulence'' over the nucelar deal would be overcome, wanted to know how the government would address the Left concerns, apprehensions and doubts, which were deeply rooted in the Hyde Act looming large on the 123 Agreement.

The Committee members opined that maybe the government was still hopeful that the Left would not go to the extent to really withdraw its outside support to the UPA.

''But to our surprise why do the government and the Congress leadership do not take note of the emerging political situation in the country and the majority members of Parliament being firmly against the deal,'' another CPI(M) leader wanted to know.

The Central Committee members are understood to have also pondered over whether the Left could wait till September 18 when Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar would travel to Vienna to attend the IAEA meeting and see if he merely attends the IAEA's General Assembly or discusses the safeguard agreement with the UN watchdog.

They also took note of Dr Singh's discussions with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the issue.

They also discussed the political fall-out of the Left's opposition to the deal, which could lead to the government being reduced to minority, its subsequent fall on any issue and eventual mid-term polls for which no political formation seemed to be ready at the moment.

The Committee members also discussed the government's ''stubborn'' reaction on the deal and reiterated that as soon as the government officials entered into discussions with the IAEA on specific safeguards, the Left parties would be forced to withdraw their support to the regime.

UNI