Voting against Govt won't be voting with BJP: Yechury

FLOOR PLAN: CPI-M politburo leader Yechury says Left would vote against Government.

        

Ads by Google

ibnlive.com is on mobile now. Read news, watch videos
be a Citizen Journalist. Log on to m.ibnlive.com NOW!

Related Stories

• Differences on N-deal irreconcilable: Yechury

• N-deal: UPA gets it left, right and Centre from Left, BJP

• Govt bows to Left, will go slow on nuclear deal

Photogallery

Find us on Facebook | Join IBNLive community

Stay ahead with G-Talk Buddy | Click now!

  

The Left parties would do anything in their power to scuttle the Indo-US nuclear deal, even vote against the Government along with the BJP, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury has said. “When you are travelling in a train you can't chose you co-passengers, said Yechury. The Rajya Sabha MP admitted that after general elections next year, the Congress and the Left may have to patch up to keep the BJP out of power. The fight over the nuclear deal would “shadow” between them then but perhaps not an obstacle, he said on Devil’s Advocate.

Karan Thapar: Let us talk about the political situation confronting your party. The Government has decided to go ahead with the Indo-US Nuclear deal; the Samawadi Party has replaced the Left as the Government's principle ally. Isn't that a double whammy against you?

Sitaram Yechury: No, how is that? You see our opposition is posed to the nuclear deal. We still maintain what we have always maintained that it's not in our country's interest.

Karan Thapar: Let me tell you how is it a double whammy against you. Today, not only are you mariginalised domestically in terms of Indian politics in this country but more importantly your attempt to ensure that India and America don't form a strategic alliance has failed. On both counts you have lost out.

I don't think its failed, just wait and see. I think it's too early for you to come to such pronouncements.

Karan Thapar: You say let’s wait and see but let’s actually go back and focus a little bit more on the nuclear issue in detail. The truth is you have nothing against civil-nuclear relations between France and Russia but you have a huge problem accepting the Hyde Act. If you had played your cards properly you could have very effectively opened the door to Russia and to France and kept the door shut as far as the Hyde Act was concerned. But your animus against America has meant that you have lost out on both counts.

Sitaram Yechury: No, not us, it was the Government that shut the door on Russia and France. When the PM was there, there was the possibility, everything was ready, all he had to do was sign with Russia but he didn't want to hurt the Americans. That is why it didn't happen.

Karan Thapar: Let me correct you. The Russian ambassador has gone on record in the newspapers and so has the French ambassador saying that although they had arrangements in place—they had even worked out a negotiated treaty—they couldn't sign it till the NSG clearance came. Therefore the process the PM is pursuing is essential.

Sitaram Yechury: No, what I'm saying are facts. They couldn’t implement it unless the NSG clearance came but they could have signed it like the 123 Agreement was signed.

Karan Thapar: The ambassadors disagree with you and they have gone public about it.

Sitaram Yechury: I know for a fact and it’s the same Ambassadors who told me that it will not be operationalised till the NGS clearance comes through.

Karan Thapar: They have gone public in the newspaper saying what I am saying.

Sitaram Yechury: No, not what you are saying. They have gone public in the newspaper saying it cannot be operationalised unless the NGS gives clearance.

Karan Thapar: They have not used the word 'operationalised', they used the word 'signed'.

Sitaram Yechury: No, signed means the final signing. Try and understand that 123 Agreement has been only initialised, it’s not signed.

Karan Thapar: Let me put it like this, if you had accepted the proposal the Prime Minister put to you to allow India to complete the IAEA stage and the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) stage on the condition that the PM would come back to Parliament before operationalising the 123 Agreement, you could have effectively shut the door on Washington and opened the door to Paris and Moscow.

Sitaram Yechury: Once 45 countries agree to it then you come back and tell us that the whole world has agreed, everybody has agreed and it's only the CPI-M that is stopping it. You think what they have now gone back on their own word they won’t do it then.

Karan Thapar: You mean to say you couldn't have trusted the Prime Minister to come back to Parliament as he was saying it not just to you but also to the public.