CPI(M) questions locus standi of BJP for its demand of JPC

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) The CPI(M) today questioned the locus standi of the BJP for its demand of setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee to examine the Indo-US nuclear deal, saying that was essentially a political issue for which the UPA-Left political committee had already been set up.

Taking a swipe at the saffron party for its ''irrational and irrelevant'' demand, the Left party said since 1952 there had never been a single instance when any parliamentary committee had been set up to examine the treaty India had entered into with a foreign country.

At a press conference, CPI(M) leaders Basudeb Acharia and Salim Mohammad, however, had a tough time answering newspersons' repeated queries whether the joint statement yesterday committed that the government would put the deal on hold till the Committee came out with its findings.

The Left leaders said since the very first session of the 14th Lok Sabha, they had been demanding a constitutional amendment so that all the international treaties were ratified by Parliament.

''Please show even a single example when the BJP-led NDA regime during its six-year rule raised any such demand?'' they said.

Mr Mohammad said BJP leaders should first set their house in order and make a clear-cut policy statement on the deal. '' All the important leaders -- be it Mr L K Advani, Mr Jaswant Sigh, Mr Arun Shourie and Mr Arun Jaitley -- they all have spoken in different voices.'' The said the BJP had only one aim and that was to disrupt the proceedings of both the Houses of Parliament on ''flimsy grounds''.'' This is only to weaken our parliamentary system of governance,'' they alleged.

Referring to the government rejecting the main opposition demand for a JPC on the issue, the Left leaders said it was unfortunate that the BJP always took recourse to disrupting the House.

''We have got many a forum in Parliament to resolve all these issues, yet the BJP chooses a disruptive approach,'' Mr Mohammad added.

They also came down heavily on the saffron party for pressing for a discussion on the deal under Rule 184 even when the Speaker had already told them that that was not possible under the existing constitutional provisions.

On being repeatedly asked whether the joint statement read out by government negotiator Pranab Mukherjee committed the government to a stand that it would not take the ''next step'' on the deal, Mr Mohammad had a tough time satisfying the questioners.

''Please read the statement carefully, it is clearly written in it that the operationalisation of the deal will take into account the committee's findings,'' he emphasised.

To related questions whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr Mukherjee today said that there was no categorical assurance that the deal would be halted, Mr Mohammad shot back, ''this question better be addressed to them.'' However, Mr Mohammad agreed that certain confusion over the interpretation of the third point of the joint statement might be there. ''But the mechanism has been set up to remove these apprehensions, doubts and misgivings only.'' He also advised the scribes ''not to be in haste'' and draw their own conclusions but rather wait for the findings of the Committee to come out.

UNI