Go to IAEA, lose our support: Left warns UPA

New Delhi: After an emergency meeting of the Politburo – following Congress’s decision to back Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Indo-US nuclear deal – the CPI-M on Sunday said that it would withdraw support in concert with other Left parties if the UPA Government goes ahead with the deal.

Party General Secretary Prakash Karat said, "In case Government decides to go ahead with such a harmful agreement, which has no support in Parliament, the CPI-M will withdraw support to the UPA Government in concert with other Left parties."

Karat also pointed out that the UPA was formed to keep the communal forces at bay.

“By taking such a step and the political consequences thereafter, that purpose will be undermined. We appeal to the UPA allies not to take any step that will help the communal forces,” Karat said.

The General Secretary also added, "The Politburo wishes to point out that going to the Board of Governors of the IAEA for approval of the safeguards agreement will be a flagrant violation of the understanding arrived at the November 16, 2007 meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal.”

However, soon after the CPM press conference, Congress Spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan told CNN-IBN, “We will continue to try our efforts to save the deal and the coalition. But we will not be as reactive as the Left.”

This is the first time that the Left has warned the UPA in such clear terms. The latest situation also indicates to the fact that if the Left goes for a no-confidence motion in Parliament then it may have to side with the BJP, which has also been against the nuclear deal.

Reacting to the Left’s tough stand on the deal, CPI National Secretary D Raja told CNN-IBN, “Left has been reasonable all this while but now we have to think for the country. This is not a personal issue with the Prime Minister. We have said we cannot support the UPA Government if they go to the IAEA. So it is for the Congress to save the coalition now.”

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)