Strategic alliance with US was part of draft NCMP: Karat

New Delhi, Sep 13 (UNI) In a new insight into the UPA-Left relationship, CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat today disclosed that the drafts of the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) mentioned India's strategic alliance with the US, but the reference was later deleted on Left's insistence.

''We were shown 5-6 drafts of the NCPM pertaining to the foreign policy, two drafts mentioned strategic alliance with the US. This reference was later deleted on our insistence,'' Mr Karat said at a Conference on 'Indo-US Nuclear Deal-- Implications for Democracy and Sovereignty', where former Prime Minister V P Singh gave the keynote address.

Mr Karat said the Left insisted on the deletion so that ''we can pursue an independent foreign policy''.

UNI