Left to oppose any "military collaboration" with US

Hyderabad, Mar 23 (UNI) Alleging that the UPA government at the Centre was ''wilfully'' deviating from the independent foreign policy as prescribed in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP), the Left leaders today said they would continue with their fight against any ''military collaboration'' with the US.

Addressing the 20th CPI National Congress here, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said ''the Left parties have been in the forefront of the struggle against the Indo-US Nuclear Deal and will wage a battle to disengage India from the strategic embrace of the US.'' Stating that the Left had been the bulwark for the country's sovereignty, he said it had remained steadfast in opposing any strategic alliance with the US even at the time of the BJP-led NDA Government.

The present government was eagerly pursuing the alliance with the ''imperialist'' nation, he alleged.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said ''we have no problem with the safeguards agreement. Our opposition is to the nuclear agreement with the US. The deal is not an innocent attempt to gain access to nuclear energy, but an attempt to cap the strategic partnership.'' ''America's real plan is to impose its hegemony on the entire world. It has a grand design for Asia,'' he added.

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