The Hindu : National : BJP assails Left “climbdown”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2007
ePaper

National

National

BJP assails Left “climbdown”

Special Correspondent

Charges Left parties with opportunistic politics on the nuclear deal

Says it is a quid pro quo arrangement
Not to stall House on nuclear deal issue

NEW DELHI: The reported “climbdown” by the Left parties on the India-United States nuclear deal was described by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the “height of opportunistic politics.”

Party leaders could not hide their disappointment that the United Progressive Alliance and its supporting Left parties may, after all, be able to arrive at some sort of understanding on the deal that could enable the government to start talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency on India-specific safeguards.

Several party leaders said the Congress and the Left had agreed to a quid pro quo arrangement, with the Congress “agreeing to bail out” the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in West Bengal, where it is in trouble over continuing violence in Nandigram, and the Left “assenting to help” the government take the next step in finalising the deal.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said: “The Left is indulging in double-speak … It has exposed itself … this is height of opportunistic politics … it is a quid pro quo arrangement between the Congress and the Left, with the Congress bailing out the Left on Nandigram, and the Left bailing out the Congress on the nuclear deal.”

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani said if the government had approached the BJP first, that is, before it consulted the Left, his party could have helped find a solution to get over the problems in the Hyde Act. But now it was too late (for the BJP to help), he added.

The party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, V.K. Malhotra, said a meeting of National Democratic Alliance leaders and the BJP’s Parliamentary Party office-bearers was likely on November 15 to finalise the stance on the deal.

He told The Hindu that while the BJP would continue to demand a discussion on the deal under the voting rule, it would not stall the House on “the issue,” and would like to participate in a discussion.

“The Left has always done this. It shouts and opposes and waves the red flag, and suddenly shows the green flag. We will oppose the deal, irrespective of the changing stance of the Left,” he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National