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BJP, CPI(M) seek early session

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Thursday demanded that Parliament be convened immediately to discuss the latest developments related to the nuclear deal with the United States.

The demand follows disclosure of a letter by the United States administration to the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in January this year but made public only two days ago. It said the U.S. would stop fuel supplies and other nuclear cooperation if India conducted a nuclear test. It was released by committee chairman Howard Berman.

Both the BJP and the CPI(M) charged the Manmohan Singh government with misleading the country on the implications of the deal. It did not have the right to continue in office, they said.

The CPI(M) said it planned to meet President Pratibha Patil to impress upon her the urgent need to convene Parliament immediately.

Party general secretary Prakash Karat said at a press conference, “This is a shameless government. It misled the nation [on the civil nuclear cooperation] and is still unwilling to leave.” The Prime Minister has no other option but to resign. Since the time the U.S. Congress passed the Hyde Act, the government knew it was contrary to the Prime Minister’s promises.

The responses of the State Department to the Committee on Foreign Affairs made it clear that on the five key issues on which the Prime Minister gave assurances to Parliament, the 123 Agreement contained provisions that were quite different.

The Bush administration’s “gag” order on the 26-page letter was to protect the Manmohan Singh government.

BJP leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie told journalists that they would give a breach of privilege notice against the Prime Minister for misleading Parliament and people.

Mr. Sinha said it seemed that the interpretations of the proposed agreement by the two countries were entirely different. This would make implementation of the deal impossible even if it were to go through. This would be a “sure recipe for spoiling the bilateral relations.”

The CPI(M) indicated that it was in touch with other Left leaders, the Bahujan Samaj Party, Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) on the need for the immediate convening of Parliament.

The party’s charge was that the monsoon session should have been called on August 11, but was postponed as the government wanted to avoid Parliament till the U.S. Congress meets from September 8 to 26.

Both the CPI(M) and the BJP said the letter made it clear that contrary to promises, India would neither have the right to conduct tests, nor would there by an assured supply of fuel in perpetuity or transfer of sensitive technology for reprocessing and enrichment.

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