Congress, CPI(M) play nuclear blame game in Sikkim

Gangtok, Aug 11 (UNI) Allies turned foes, Congress and CPI(M) heavyweights turned the heat on each other in Sikkim over the nuclear deal and recent trust vote.

AICC secretary and in-charge of Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) Sanjay Bapna chose the rural Malbasey in West Sikkim to sensitise the party workers on the benefits of the nuclear deal and ''dirty'' tactics of the CPI(M) to derail it without any ''concrete'' reason.

''The CPI(M) has failed to provide a single valid argument against the nuclear deal and it has allied with the BJP to level baseless allegations against our Central leaders. However we are proud that the Congress has taken the nuclear deal forward as energy is vital for the country's development,'' Mr Bapna said during a public meeting of the SPCC organised at Malbasey yesterday.

The AICC secretary dwelled at length on the positives of the nuclear deal and slammed the Left parties and BJP on their ''baseless'' allegations.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the CPI(M)'s nationwide campaign against the deal reverberated in Sikkim.

CPI(M) central committee member Nilotpal Basu told the party workers in Gangtok that the Left parties had to withdraw support to the UPA government due to ''lack of sincerity'' on the part of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

He said the nuclear deal was neither part of the Common Minimum Programme nor would it serve the people in any manner.

''The nuclear deal has put India's foreign policy under threat with the new strategic partnership with the US and the nation's sovereignty will be compromised,'' he said.

Lone Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim Nakul Das Rai, who belongs to the ruling SDF party, has already voted for the UPA in the recent trust vote.

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