N Deal: Karat asks govt to wait for 6 mnths

New Delhi, Sep18: The CPI(M) today suggested to the Manmohan Singh government to wait for at least six months before proceeding further on the Indo-US nuclear deal and instead discuss the issue in Parliament.

" The government should wait at least for six months and discuss the issue in Parliament to remove the doubts and apprehensions of the majority of the MPs," said Mr Karat addressing a rally as part of the party's nationwide agtiation against the deal.

Mr Karat's remark assumes significance in the wake of the UPA-Left Political Panel's meet tomorrow to exchange views on the written notes that the UPA and the Left parties have so far submitted to the Committee Convenor Pranab Mukherjee.

The CPI(M) General Secretary, who is already on record having said " the Left will not be convinced," by the government logic in favour of the" landmark deal," said it is the basic principle of democracy that any measure which did not enjoy Parliament's approval could not be implemented.

"The government must understand that it does not enjoy a majority on the deal in Parliament," Mr Karat said adding that it is just not the political parties but even the nuclear scientists and intellectuals who are opposed to the deal.

The Marxist leader warned that the government going ahead as per the time frame committed to US President George Bush would not be good for ''political stability.'' He said the Left had ''demanded that the government should not proceed with the operationalisation of the deal unless it satisfied the people regarding the serious objections raised over the pact.''

Earlier, hundreds of party cadres organised a 'March to Parliament' to lodge their protest against the government's move to operationalise and implement the deal, which they termed as "impingment on country's sovereignty, independent foreign policy and nuclear energy programmes."

The protestors, who carried red placards and banners, calling the UPA government " stooge" of the US interests, were however stopped by the police in front of the Parliament Police Staiton and prevented from reaching Parliament House. Party senior leaders Subhashni Ali, Joginder Sharma, PMS Grewal also addressed the rally.

Mr Karat emphasised that the deal should not be seen in n isolation but as part of the strategic alliance that the government sought to forge with the US.

He also came down heavily on the government for its allowing the corporates into the fruit and vegetable markets, saying this would lead to large scale unemployment of millions of people associated with the retail sector.

UNI