'Word on nuke deal mechanism on Aug 30'
New
Delhi,
Aug
29:
Amid
reports
that
the
Government
is
constituting
an
eight-member
'political
mechansim'
to
go
into
the
Indo-US
civil
nuclear
deal,
the
CPI(M)
today
said
an
announcement
to
this
effect
is
likely
to
come
tomorrow.
''We
are
expecting
that
the
Government
will
announce
the
contours
of
the
mechanism
or
committee
to
address
the
Left
apprehensions
and
doubts
on
the
deal,''
said
CPI(M)
leader
and
Polit
Bureau
member
Sitaram
Yechury.
At a press confernce, Mr Yechury, flanked by party Floor leader in the Lok Sabha Basudeb Acharia said, Parliament was expected to take up the debate on the Indo-US deal next week.
''The timing of the discussions has to be decided by the Government keeping in view the availability of the Prime Minsiter and the External Affairs Minister.'' Mr Yechury said the announcement on setting up of the mechanism will also make it clear whether the Government has acceded to the Left demand to halt the pact, which has become the bone of contetion between the UPA and the Left, even threatening the very survival of the over three-year-old Manmohan Singh Government.
Reacting to media reports that the Mechanism may have eight members, the CPI(M) leader made it clear that so far only 'informal discussions' had taken place. ''No formal deliberations have been undertaken on the composition and the terms and reference of the mechanism.'' On the BJP's demand for inclusion of members from all parties in the mechanism, Mr Yechury quipped, '' Let the BJP talk to the Government.'' Taking a dig at the saffron party's demand in this regard, the CPI(M) leader recollected how the party had already made its position clear that the issue was beyond the purview of Parliament.
''When they accepted the Speaker's ruling that the discussion on the issue cannot be held under Rule 184 that entails voting and that they did not oppose the 123 agreement any more, what is their locus standi on this issue,'' Mr Yechury said.
On discussions on the Action Taken Report on the Srikrishna Commission Report on the 1992-93 Mumbai communal riots and the Sachar Committee Report on the status of Muslims in the country, Mr Acharia said the discussion would now take place next week as the Lok Sabha is now discussing the 'Adjournment Motion: Failure of the Government to contain terrorist violence in the country.' On the growing menace of terrorism in the country, the Left leaders said the Government would have to take immediate measures to combat the menace, hold a CBI or judicial inquiry into the Hyderabad bomb blasts which claimed over 41 lives, while warning that the private agency could not be entrusted with the task of providing secuirty to public places.
Pointing out the pitfall of ''privatising every thing including security to citizens, they stressed that ''it is the job of the Government to protect citizens.'' Elaborating, he said the private agencies are not answerable and accountable to any authority.
He also dismissed the suggestion that terrorist violence had grown especially after the repeal of POTA. ''Did the terrorist not attack the Parliament House or the Akshardham Temple when the draconian law was in force.''
UNI