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“Left not informed of need to go to IAEA”

KOLKATA: The government had held back from the Left parties the fact that it was mandatory for it to go to the International Atomic Energy Agency for an India-specific safeguards agreement, said Biman Bose, Secretary of the West Bengal CPI(M) Committee.

“The Manmohan Singh government did not do the right thing … certain things were not disclosed to the UPA-Left committee on the India-U.S. nuclear deal [it is now evident],” Mr. Bose, who is also a member of the CPI(M)’s Polit Bureau, said referring to the committee meeting in November 2007.

What the Centre stated then did not represent the whole truth on the nuclear deal, he asserted. What was being said now of it being mandatory to go to the IAEA was not stated then.

The Left coordination committee would meet in New Delhi either on July 3 or 4 to take stock of the situation. Prior to this, the CPI(M) would discuss its stand with other Left parties, Mr. Bose said.

“A decision [on the next course of action by the Left] on the nuclear deal will be taken by the Left coordination committee,” Mr. Bose, who is also chairman of the Left Front Committee, said after a meeting of the Front leaders.

Mr. Bose was also critical of the Manmohan government for trying to push through the nuclear deal “instead of being serious about tackling price rise and a 13-year-high rate of inflation.”

He charged the government with inaction in the fight against communalism.

Mr. Bose said that in view of the rise in prices of petrol, diesel and “the pressure” being put on it by various transport operators, a decision was taken to re-structure the bus and taxi fares.

The State government later announced a hike in the fares effective from July 11.

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