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India being converted into U.S. ally: CPI(M)

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Tuesday’s discussion on the India-U.S. civilian nuclear deal in the Rajya Sabha, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), a key Left supporter of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, as well as the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sharpened their attack on the government.

While the CPI(M) said that the 123 Agreement has fallen short of the assurances given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself, the BJP demanded that ideally Dr. Singh should reply to the debate in the Rajya Sabha.

“If External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee replies like he did in the Lok Sabha, we will demand at least an intervention during the debate by the Prime Minister,” BJP’s deputy leader in the Upper House Sushma Swaraj told reporters here.

The party had boycotted Mr. Mukherjee’s reply to the debate on the deal in the Lok Sabha last week, demanding that the Prime Minister should have replied.

Stepping up the attack against the deal, Sitaram Yechury, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) and Rajya Sabha member, told reporters that there were three violations relating to fuel supply, technology transfer and reciprocity.

He alleged that the U.S. was carrying out its larger game plan of making India its “subordinate ally” and New Delhi’s “shift” in the policy was visible in the Indo-Iranian relations.

Mr. Yechury said recent developments reconfirmed the party’s fears that the U.S. wanted to convert India into its subordinate ally in South Asia even before the nuclear deal came into effect. “This is a very serious development,” he said.

He claimed that American “pressure” was working not just on the government to “shift” its foreign policy but also on Indian companies as well. Mr. Yechury said the deal was a “lot more than only nuclear cooperation.”

Mr. Yechury referred to India’s non-participation in a scheduled meeting with Iran and Pakistan on the gas pipeline. He claimed that the State Bank of India had “suddenly prohibited” extending their line of credit to Iranian firms and stopping Indian exports to that country.

The debate on the nuclear deal in the Rajya Sabha is expected to see star speakers from all parties being fielded to put forth their views. If former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie are expected to be fielded by the BJP, the Congress is likely to rely upon Abhishek Manu Singhvi who is also the party’s spokesperson. The CPI(M) viewpoint is expected to be put forth by Sitaram Yechury.

The BJP has demanded that the Prime Minister should make a statement in both Houses of Parliament on his recent visit to Russia, Singapore, and Uganda. Ms. Swaraj said it was an “established Parliamentary practice” that the Prime Minister always briefed both the Houses after foreign trips.

Stating that the UPA government had bypassed the practice, Ms. Swaraj said that if the Prime Minister attached so much importance to his foreign visits that he left the country while Parliament was in session, he should inform Parliament about his visits.

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