National

“Text was not given to panel”

BHUBANESWAR: CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan on Tuesday reiterated the Left stand that they were opposed to the country becoming a strategic partner of the U.S. by signing the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal.

At a press conference here, Mr. Bardhan said Wednesday would be a critical day when the UPA-Left panel was scheduled to hold discussions on the proposed deal.

Stating that the government had not given the text of the pact to the panel till date, Mr. Bardhan said the government had also not come forward with any new facts so far.

“Not even a paraphrase of the deal has been shown to us so far, and it the government submits any new proposal the panel will consider the same,” Mr. Bardhan said.

Questioning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s haste to go ahead with the deal, the CPI leader urged UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to take into consideration the stand taken by the Left parties and the allies of the UPA before proceeding.

“When the government took two years to finalise the deal, why cannot it allow some time to sign the same? We must proceed as per our schedule not as per the schedule of the U.S. government,” Mr. Bardhan said.

The Left parties never wanted the country to go to the polls over the nuclear deal. “We are not keen to withdraw our support, but if they are keen to bring down their own government, how can we prevent it,” Mr. Bardhan asked.

“This is the time for the country to fight inflation, not to sign the nuclear deal,” he said.

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