Left softens stand on N-deal on eve of Parliament session

New Delhi, Nov 13 (UNI) Ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament, starting on November 15, the Left Parties have softened their stand on the Indo-US Deal and the BJP has announced that it will participate in the debate on the issue even if their demand for discussion under the provision which entails voting is rejected.

Earlier, both the Opposition, NDA, particularly the BJP, and the the Communists Bloc had been very categorical against the deal. The Left had even gone to the extent of warning the Government that it could go to the extreme if it went ahead with the deal.

The BJP, which had been demanding a discussion under rule 184 on the nuclear deal in the Monsoon Session and forced many adjourments, has also mellowed down saying it had given notices under both rule 184 and 193. However, it will press for rule 184 and if it is rejected, the party will still participate in the debate.

Left Leaders have conveyed to the Government that they could participate in the IAEA talks but should not sign any agreement until it was shown to them. Earlier, they were even against the government going to such a meeting.

Although the NDA Parliamentary Group will fine-tune its floor strategy at the meeting on November 15 in Leader of the Opposition L K Advani's room in Parliament, the party has identified issues like the Nandigram violence, the Ram Setu issue, price rise, farmers' suicide, including minimum support price for paddy, which it will be raising during the 21-day session.

According to BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar, the party will press for a debate under rule 184 only to expose the Left Front of its double speak on every isssue, including the Indo-US nuclear deal, which is not in national interest.

''We are ready for a debate under any rule to clarify that the party is not against Indo-US cooperation. It is not anti-imperialistic as the case with the Left Parties, but purely on the ground that it will affect India's nuclear sovereignty,'' Mr Advani had said, while speaking to reporters at a get-together hosted by his party colleague Vijay Kumar Malhotra on the occasion of Diwali.

The party is maintaining that there should be no compromise on India's nuclear doctrine, which earlier withstood the US sanctions against the Pokhran II, during the NDA regime. It also wanted a domestic law on the line of Hyde Act to protect domestic interest.

The Third Front, a group of six regional parties, have also echoed their opposition to the deal.

The ruling coalition, however, will try to embarass the BJP on the recent Tehelka expose showing the role of the Modi government in the Gujarat Carnage to take advantage in the crucial assembly election in the state.

The escalated violence in Nandigram is likely to generate a lot of heat in both Houses of Parliament. Almost the entire Opposition, particularly Trinamool Congress, will definitely like to pin down the government, particularly for its ties with the Left Front and also letting the matter to grow from bad to worse.

UNI