'CPM doesn't want N-deal to hijack other issues'

New Delhi, Aug 24: Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury today toned down the party's stand on the Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation deal, saying other matters of national interest should also be debated in Parliament.

"We don't want the nuclear issue to hijack other important issues," he told reporters here.

He went on to say that the Left wants issues like price rise, implementation of the recommendations of the Srikrishna Commission and the Sachar Committee be discussed in Parliament, besides the bilateral nuclear deal with Washington.

Yechury ruled out that the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government was facing any crisis over the nuclear deal.

"I don't see a crisis. Where was it and where has it gone," he said.

However, he reiterated that the government should not proceed further with operationalising the deal. He emphasised the need for a "structured debate" in Parliament over the issue.

He hinted that the Left and the Congress party leaders might meet to discuss the matter after the return of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from South Africa.

Yechury's comments came a day after the CPM Central Committee endorsed Politburo's stand on the nuclear deal at a two-day meeting, that the bilateral agreement would bind India into a strategic alliance with Washington with long term consequences.

In a resolution passed at the meeting, the CPM said that its Central Committee did not want the current crisis to affect the government, but it hinted at withdrawing support to the UPA coalition by saying that it is contingent upon the government not to proceed further with the agreement.

The Central Committee noted the various objections and apprehensions voiced by scientists, public figures and intelligentsia on the nuclear deal. The party held the view that the majority of the Members of Parliament were opposed to the agreement.

"This alone should make the government pause and not proceed further with the next steps to be taken to operationalise the deal," the party said.

The Left leaders also decided to take the issue of the Indo-US strategic relations, of which the nuclear agreement is a part, to the people through a mass campaign along with other Left parties.

The CPI(M) and other Left parties will conduct this joint campaign from September 4 to 8 all over the country, coinciding with the two jathas which are taking place in the same period against the Indo-US joint naval exercises.

The party will also conduct an independent campaign till September 15 to register their opposition.

ANI

>