Left finally withdraws support to UPA Government

New Delhi, July 8 : The four Left parties -- CPI, CPI (M), Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party of India (RSP) -- today announced a formal withdrawal of their outside support to the Congress-led UPA Government, saying that the time had come for them to take this step.

Addressing media persons in the capital after a meeting of Left parties, CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said they would submit the letter of the withdrawal of support to President Pratibha Patil tomorrow.

"We have sought an appointment from the President tomorrow to deliver our letter about the withdrawal of support to the Centre," Karat told media persons.

He said the Prime Minister had announced en route to Japan yesterday that his government would go to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) soon to discuss a safeguards agreement with regard to the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation deal.

"The text of the IAEA agreement should be placed before the countrymen. We fail to understand why the Centre is hiding it from the people," he said, adding that since the government has finally decided to go ahead on the deal, "The time has come for us to withdraw the support."

A formal letter about the Left's decision to withdraw support has also been sent to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is the convenor of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee, Karat said.

Earlier, the Prime Minister said India had been assured that once it decides to go ahead with the nuclear deal, things would move swiftly. But he also hoped that the IAEA Board of Governors would not take too long to approve the nuclear safeguards for India.

The Indo-US nuclear deal will figure in all discussions with world leaders at the ongoing G-8 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan, the Prime Minister said.

Dr. Singh said he is confident of getting China's support for the nuke deal, and said that it will not be a problem. India already has the support of Russia, France and the UK.

India has been assured that once it took the decision to go to the IAEA, the process to go ahead with the deal would move pretty fast, said Dr. Singh.

There are reports that the IAEA Board of Governors will hold a meeting on July 28 to approve the India-specific nuclear cooperation safeguards.

ANI