Govt's mistake on N-deal to cost nation dearly: Left

New Delhi, Nov 30: Claiming that the UPA government was not in a majority, ''arithmetically and politically'', in Parliament on the issue of the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Left parties today cautioned it against the execution of the pact, saying ''one mistake'' would cost the nation dearly.

Giving a detailed account of the speeches made by as many as 29 speakers, CPI and CPI(M) leaders said a clear majority termed the proposed deal ''against national interest'' and even the allied parties had expressed concern over ''US imperialism''.

At a press conference in the precincts of Parliament House, CPI Floor leader in the Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement that the debate could not be treated as the ''sense of the House'' was unacceptable.

''It appears that the government does not intend to look at the composition of the House and take into account the 'sense of the house' as was the practice till recently,'' he said.

Even Mr Mukherjee did not talk about the ruling coalition having a majority on the issue, Mr Dasgupta said, adding that he dwelt only on the constitutional points.

Elaborating, he said it was well known that the Constitution did not permit the ratification of international treaties by Parliament.

''We dont understand what the government means by national consensus when it is not willing to accept the majority view in Parliament as the national consensus,'' he added.

To a specific query on the ''ambiguous stand'' of the Samajwadi party, he quipped,'' it is not true. You read the last sentence of Mr Ram Gopal Yadav's speech... it makes it clear that the party opposed the deal.'' On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not responding to the issue during the debate, Mr Dasgupta said it was for the Congress to field a ''captain of its choice''.

'' We can not object to this arrangement of the Congress.

They chose Mr Mukherjee as the 'playing captain' and the Prime Minister as the 'non playing' captain.''

UNI