The Hindu : National : Karat: end talks with IAEA by month-end

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Monday, Dec 10, 2007
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Karat: end talks with IAEA by month-end

New Delhi: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has asked the Union government to end the talks with International Atomic Energy Agency by this month-end or be prepared for mid-term elections to the Lok Sabha.

“When they [officials] come back from talks with IAEA, we will tell them [government] there is no need to go ahead [with the India-United States civilian nuclear deal]. The issue must be resolved by the end of December. If they still go ahead, then we will have to be prepared for Lok Sabha mid-term polls,” CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat told the Delhi State CPI(M) meeting here on Saturday.

Mr. Karat made his remarks even as a team of Indian officials left for Vienna to resume from Monday their second round of talks with the IAEA for India-specific safeguards.

Mr. Karat said the Left parties did not want the government to fall before the Gujarat elections lest the BJP benefited from it. “You may not be worried but we are. We don’t want the BJP to win the polls. We have to defeat the Modi government so we don’t want to disturb the situation now,” he said.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said: “Whatever is being negotiated is as per the understanding reached in the coordination committee meetings of the Left and the UPA and after full engagement with the Left.”

The BJP on Sunday challenged the CPI(M) to withdraw support to the UPA government. Party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Left had set deadlines earlier too, but found some “via media” not to pull the rug “as it does not have the courage do so.” — PTI

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