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Left was never serious: BJP

NEW DELHI: The Left has never been serious in its opposition to the India-U.S. nuclear deal, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Friday.

Speaking to journalists after reports that said the Left parties had agreed to let the government approach the International Atomic Energy Agency for India-specific safeguards, he said: “The Left will help the UPA government continue at all costs. For this, it is prepared to make compromise after compromise.”

Mr. Prasad said the Left had indicated on several occasions that it would not disturb the UPA government for fear of helping the BJP come back to power.

“Fear of the BJP will continue to keep the opportunistic alliance going,” he added.

The BJP was interested in a debate in Parliament on the nuclear deal under a substantive motion. “The Left wants the government to get the ‘sense of the House’ on the deal. That is possible only through a vote. Yet, it is opposing a discussion under a voting rule,” he said.

The BJP’s view was that it was the government that had shied away from a debate as it knew the majority in Parliament was opposed to the deal.

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