CPM not to support India becoming US ally: Karat

Chandigarh, Sep 23 (UNI) CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat today asserted the CPM would not support any agreement of the UPA Government that would make India a strategic ally of the United States.

Addressing a press conference here, he asked the Government not to proceed with further steps to operationalise the Indo-US bilateral agreement on nuclear cooperation, saying it was against India's interests and would harm its self reliant nuclear programme.

This is not the agenda of the leftists alone, but ofpeople of the entire country that the Government should halt taking further steps in operationalising the deal, he said.

When asked if the CPM would consider withdrawl of support if the Government went ahead with the next step to operationalise the deal, Mr Karat said the leftists would discuss the issue when it arose.

He said it was for the Manmohan Singh Government to decide whether it should pursue a pro-US policy or guard the interests of the people of India.

Earlier, addressing a convention here on the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, Mr Karat said there was no guarantee that the US would not invoke the provisions of the Hyde Act, which were against India's interest.

He said the CPM extended support to the UPA Government on the Common Minimum Programme that did not allow India to become a strategic ally of the US. If they want to make an alliance with the US, there should be a debate on changing the foreign policy, he added.

Mr Karat said the US did not see the nuclear cooperation agreement as a ''stand-alone''. It was part of the American design to try in India a wide ranging strategic alliance which would adversely affect the pursuit of an independent foreign policy and our strategic autonomy, he added.

UNI