CPI(M) gives breathing time to govt on nuke deal

New Delhi, Aug 23: The CPI(M) today gave breathing time to the UPA government on the Indo-US nuke deal, saying that it was prepared to consider any mechanism or a committee to address its concerns on the Agreement, provided the government did not go ahead with its operationalisation.

''We are asking the government to just pause, examine the implications of the Hyde Act and clear our objections and those of the majority in Parliament,'' said CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat at a press conference at the conclusion of the party's two-day Central Committee meeting that endorsed the Polit Bureau's stand on the deal.

Mr Karat, who read out a two-page statement, however, made it clear that if the Left's demand to halt the deal did not materialise, the onus of the fall of the government would be on the UPA regime.

Answering a volley of questions, Mr Karat said he hoped that the government would respond to their concerns. ''I welcome the debate in Parliament. We also have to see how the government looks at the suggestion of evolving a mechanism or a committee to evaluate the implications of the Hyde Act.'' When futher pressed on the time limit for them to wait for government's response, ''If the government is not in a hurry, why should we be?'' But prior to any mechanism, the government would have to ensure that it does not take the ''next step'' on the deal, the CPI(M) leader said adding that it should understand ''how our strategic cooperation with the US would affect our economic, strategic, political interests''.

''The way the tie up with the US is affecting the various policies which affect the people's livelihood, economic sovereignty and independent foreign policy has to be highlighted throughout the country,'' he said adding that the CPI(M) along with other Left parties would conduct a joint campaign from September 4 to 8 coinciding with the two jathas taking place in the same period against the joint naval exercises.

The CPI(M) leader said the Central Committee did not want the current crisis to affect the government. ''However, this is contingent upon the government not to proceed with the agreement.'' Reacting to a question on the UPA-Left chasm leading to the withdrawal of support to the government and subsequent mid-term polls, Mr Karat said, ''We have not discussed the elections.'' To another question, he claimed that at no time and place in Hyderabad, Delhi or Kolkata had any single Left leader talked about withdrawal of the support to government.

Reacting to reports about Dr Singh's talks with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regarding the deal, Mr Karat said, ''We did not expect him not to discuss the issue.'' In reply to a specific query how he reacted to the Prime Minister's observation that ''If winter comes, Spring won't be far behind'' in the wake of the rift over the deal, Mr Karat evaded a direct reply and simply quipped, ''I hope the deal would remain in cold storage.'' On various options in the eventuality of the withdrawal of support to the government, the CPI(M) leader said they would discuss about it.

To a question how the minority government would function in case of their withdrawal as was being projected in political circles, Mr Karat asserted, ''How can such a government function without our support?'' The CPI(M) leader emphasised that the Central Committee members told them that this government was functioning because of the Left's support. ''We don't want to destabilise this government but the responsibility of running it lies with the Congress leadership.''

UNI