06-28-2008, 10:38 PM
Karat blames Manmohan's bid to go to IAEA
Fri, Jun 27 02:31 PM
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Friday held Prime Minister Manmohan Singh squarely responsible for the present crisis over the nuclear deal, but was silent on whether the Left will vote against the Government in the event of withdrawal of support to it.
"What is the cause for this ongoing crisis? The answer lies squarely in the Prime Minister's renewed bid to go to the IAEA for seeking the approval of the Board of Governors on the text of the safeguards agreement," he said in his first comments after the UPA-Left joint mechanism failed to break the logjam, pushing their ties to the brink.
Maintaining that there will be "no compromise" on the issue of Government approaching the IAEA board for approval of the India-specific safeguards agreement, the hardline Communist leader said it was an "essential step" for taking the nuclear deal forward and for operationalising the 123 Agreement.
After the virtual burial of the consultation mechanism, the Left is bracing for a break in ties with the ruling UPA as it feels that the Government is planning to approach the IAEA board to confirm the safeguards agreement.
Though Karat wrote at length about how the Government and the Congress leadership have pushed through a strategic alliance with the US knowing fully well that the Left will never be party to it, he was silent on the Left strategy after the separation, which seems imminent now.
Congress circles are already thinking about a scenario in which the Left parties part ways with the UPA Government but do not vote against the ruling coalition.
Karat referred to the UPA's failed attempts to convince the Left that the IAEA approval would pave the way for nuclear cooperation with Russia and France, saying "nothing can be further from truth". "It is posed as if the 123 agreement is off the agenda. Nothing can be further from the truth," he said.
In unusually strong words against Singh, Karat, in an article in the latest issue of party mouthpiece People's Democracy, accused his Government of being "obsessed with its vision of becoming a strategic partner of the US" at a time when the priority should be to tackle inflation.
"If the priorities of our country and the people are kept in mind, the Government should be engaged on a war footing to curb inflation and price rise and take urgent measures to provide relief to the people. But the last fortnight has exposed what the priorities of the Government are," he said.
Karat, however, gave some veiled threats: "One can only hope that the Congress leadership will realise the serious consequences of pursuing a pro-US line which can only benefit the rightwing communal forces in the country."
Asserting that the urgency to approach the IAEA board runs contrary to the understanding between UPA and Left last year, Karat alleged that the schedule set out by the US was "impelling the Prime Minister to go ahead regardless of the consequences" and without the conclusions of the joint nuclear committee.
"The committee has not arrived at any conclusions on the nature of the safeguards agreement nor has the committee reached its findings after which only the Government can think of proceeding," he said.
The "urgency" was at the "insistence of the Bush administration" so the Americans could take the step of formally initiating the process in the Nuclear Suppliers Group to get a waiver for nuclear trade with India before his term expires, he said.
"The Bush administration knows very well that there is no time for the 123 Agreement to be passed by the current US Congress. By the time the NSG clearance is got it will be too late for the US Congress to consider and adopt the 123 law.
"President Bush wants to ensure in the last few discredited months of his presidency that at least the Indo-US nuclear deal will remain as a legacy to be taken up by the next president. This will have some certainty if the NSG clearance is got before his term expires," he said.
The Left parties had explicitly stated that without its concurrence there should be no step forward on the IAEA front and this was acknowledged by the Congress leadership, he added.
Left argument on N-deal "absurd": Cong
Sat, Jun 28 09:18 AM
New Delhi, June 28 (PTI) Hitting back at CPI(M) a day after its attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress today said the Communist parties are indulging in irrational and "absurd arguments" on the Indo-US nuclear deal. Citing rising oil prices, the party justified the nuclear deal as being essential for the country's energy needs and warned that the country's economic growth was being endangered by "blind ideological obduracy".
A day after Prakash Karat's article attacking the Prime Minister appeared, Congress spokesman Veerappa Moily issued a seven-page statement countering the arguments forwarded by CPI(M) General Secretary. "The Left's objections (to nuclear deal) are ideological rather than rational and it has fallen back on absurd arguments," said the statement which quotes former President A P J Abdul Kalam as well as some scientists to defend the nuclear deal.
"If Russia and America, China and Pakistan and China and Russia are all busy signing civil nuclear deals, should India forego pursuing its interests? .
Obstructing the deal means that the nation's energy security and its ability to withstand future oil price shocks would be further reduced," Moily said. PTI.
Govt. awaits Lefts approach on Indo-US nuke deal
Sat, Jun 28 08:35 PM
Dera Baba Nanak (Punjab), June 28 (ANI): The Central government awaits Left's approach on Indo-US nuke deal, as External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said they are in touch with the Left parties and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies to resolve the stalemate over the issue.
He was speaking to media during his visit to Dera Baba Nanak on Saturday in Punjab.
"We are in touch with the left leaders, we are in touch with other leaders, other UPA partners and it is a very important National issue, so we are talking to them and let's see what comes out of that," said Mukherjee.
Government is eagerly waiting for the outcome of the meeting of Left parties on July 3 to decide their strategy about the nuke deal, which has run into rough weather.
"They (the leaders of Left parties) are meeting on third (July). So after that what is their approach will be known," added Mukherjee.
Government is leaving no stone unturned to translate the deal into reality but the Left parties are against the deal.
The deal needs clearances from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group before it can go to the U.S. Congress for final approval.
But it might already be getting too late as the US gears up for presidential elections. (ANI)
Fri, Jun 27 02:31 PM
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Friday held Prime Minister Manmohan Singh squarely responsible for the present crisis over the nuclear deal, but was silent on whether the Left will vote against the Government in the event of withdrawal of support to it.
"What is the cause for this ongoing crisis? The answer lies squarely in the Prime Minister's renewed bid to go to the IAEA for seeking the approval of the Board of Governors on the text of the safeguards agreement," he said in his first comments after the UPA-Left joint mechanism failed to break the logjam, pushing their ties to the brink.
Maintaining that there will be "no compromise" on the issue of Government approaching the IAEA board for approval of the India-specific safeguards agreement, the hardline Communist leader said it was an "essential step" for taking the nuclear deal forward and for operationalising the 123 Agreement.
After the virtual burial of the consultation mechanism, the Left is bracing for a break in ties with the ruling UPA as it feels that the Government is planning to approach the IAEA board to confirm the safeguards agreement.
Though Karat wrote at length about how the Government and the Congress leadership have pushed through a strategic alliance with the US knowing fully well that the Left will never be party to it, he was silent on the Left strategy after the separation, which seems imminent now.
Congress circles are already thinking about a scenario in which the Left parties part ways with the UPA Government but do not vote against the ruling coalition.
Karat referred to the UPA's failed attempts to convince the Left that the IAEA approval would pave the way for nuclear cooperation with Russia and France, saying "nothing can be further from truth". "It is posed as if the 123 agreement is off the agenda. Nothing can be further from the truth," he said.
In unusually strong words against Singh, Karat, in an article in the latest issue of party mouthpiece People's Democracy, accused his Government of being "obsessed with its vision of becoming a strategic partner of the US" at a time when the priority should be to tackle inflation.
"If the priorities of our country and the people are kept in mind, the Government should be engaged on a war footing to curb inflation and price rise and take urgent measures to provide relief to the people. But the last fortnight has exposed what the priorities of the Government are," he said.
Karat, however, gave some veiled threats: "One can only hope that the Congress leadership will realise the serious consequences of pursuing a pro-US line which can only benefit the rightwing communal forces in the country."
Asserting that the urgency to approach the IAEA board runs contrary to the understanding between UPA and Left last year, Karat alleged that the schedule set out by the US was "impelling the Prime Minister to go ahead regardless of the consequences" and without the conclusions of the joint nuclear committee.
"The committee has not arrived at any conclusions on the nature of the safeguards agreement nor has the committee reached its findings after which only the Government can think of proceeding," he said.
The "urgency" was at the "insistence of the Bush administration" so the Americans could take the step of formally initiating the process in the Nuclear Suppliers Group to get a waiver for nuclear trade with India before his term expires, he said.
"The Bush administration knows very well that there is no time for the 123 Agreement to be passed by the current US Congress. By the time the NSG clearance is got it will be too late for the US Congress to consider and adopt the 123 law.
"President Bush wants to ensure in the last few discredited months of his presidency that at least the Indo-US nuclear deal will remain as a legacy to be taken up by the next president. This will have some certainty if the NSG clearance is got before his term expires," he said.
The Left parties had explicitly stated that without its concurrence there should be no step forward on the IAEA front and this was acknowledged by the Congress leadership, he added.
Left argument on N-deal "absurd": Cong
Sat, Jun 28 09:18 AM
New Delhi, June 28 (PTI) Hitting back at CPI(M) a day after its attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress today said the Communist parties are indulging in irrational and "absurd arguments" on the Indo-US nuclear deal. Citing rising oil prices, the party justified the nuclear deal as being essential for the country's energy needs and warned that the country's economic growth was being endangered by "blind ideological obduracy".
A day after Prakash Karat's article attacking the Prime Minister appeared, Congress spokesman Veerappa Moily issued a seven-page statement countering the arguments forwarded by CPI(M) General Secretary. "The Left's objections (to nuclear deal) are ideological rather than rational and it has fallen back on absurd arguments," said the statement which quotes former President A P J Abdul Kalam as well as some scientists to defend the nuclear deal.
"If Russia and America, China and Pakistan and China and Russia are all busy signing civil nuclear deals, should India forego pursuing its interests? .
Obstructing the deal means that the nation's energy security and its ability to withstand future oil price shocks would be further reduced," Moily said. PTI.
Govt. awaits Lefts approach on Indo-US nuke deal
Sat, Jun 28 08:35 PM
Dera Baba Nanak (Punjab), June 28 (ANI): The Central government awaits Left's approach on Indo-US nuke deal, as External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said they are in touch with the Left parties and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies to resolve the stalemate over the issue.
He was speaking to media during his visit to Dera Baba Nanak on Saturday in Punjab.
"We are in touch with the left leaders, we are in touch with other leaders, other UPA partners and it is a very important National issue, so we are talking to them and let's see what comes out of that," said Mukherjee.
Government is eagerly waiting for the outcome of the meeting of Left parties on July 3 to decide their strategy about the nuke deal, which has run into rough weather.
"They (the leaders of Left parties) are meeting on third (July). So after that what is their approach will be known," added Mukherjee.
Government is leaving no stone unturned to translate the deal into reality but the Left parties are against the deal.
The deal needs clearances from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group before it can go to the U.S. Congress for final approval.
But it might already be getting too late as the US gears up for presidential elections. (ANI)