Left parties flay UPA on Indo-US nuclear deal

Jalandhar, Sep 4 (UNI) Criticising the Indo-US nuclear deal, Punjab units of four Left parties today urged the UPA government not to operationalise the deal, saying it would make India a subordinate strategic and military ally of the US.

The Left parties, including the CPI, CPI (M), Forward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), at a convention here exhorted the people of Punjab to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal tooth and nail. ''The deal is harmful for India's sovereignty, independent foreign policy and people's economic interest,'' they added.

The convention also demanded to stop the joint Naval exercise being conducted by the US, Japan, Australia, India and Hongkong in Bay of Bengal.

The speakers observed that the Indo-US nuclear deal, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had termed as ''courage to change policy'' was infact ''flagrant violation'' of the commitment made in respect to foreign policy mentioned in the Common Minimum Programme.

The commitment was that the UPA government would pursue an independent foreign policy, keeping in mind its past traditions, Hence this policy would promote multipolarity in world relations and oppose all attempts of unilateralism, they said.

Lamenting that the nuclear deal was continuation of NDA's pro-America foreign policy, they said it was amazing that the Prime Minister in an interview to an English magazine had boasted that the nuclear deal was a logical fallout of the next step in the strategic partership that the NDA government had begun with the US.

''It is most unfortunate that the Prime Minister is hell bent to implement the 123 Agreement despite the opposition of the majority in Parliament,''they rued.

The Left parties were of the view that in the 123 Agreement, the Prime Minister had not only backtracked from his assurances given in the Parliament but also concealed the fact that the Hyde Act enacted by US on December 16, 2006, binded India as strategic partner of US. The Act had provided that India was bound to serve and act on the directions of the US foreign policy, which was aimed at global hegemonic designs, they added.

The convention was presided over by Mr Rachhpal Singh, Mr Bant Singh Brar, Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Karnail Singh and was addressed, among others, by Prof Balwant Singh, Charan Singh Virdi from the CPI (M), Dr Joginder Dayal and Jagroop Singh (CPI), BP Saini from the Forward Bloc and Avtar Singh Janjua (RSP).

UNI