No takers in Left for PM's challenge

NEW DELHI: The Left parties on Saturday downplayed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's challenge to withdraw their support on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, maintaining that "we are going to oppose it" and "everything should not be linked with pulling down the government".

While senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and CPI's D Raja went roundabout reacting to Singh's statement, their junior allies, RSP and Forward Bloc, were forthright saying the Left support cannot be taken for granted.

Asked whether the Left will withdraw support, Yechury, leader of the CPI (M) in Parliament, said "everything should not be linked with pulling down the government. Our concern is with the nuclear deal. Governments will come and go but the agreement will remain."

Yechury, while talking to reporters in Hyderabad, noted that the Prime Minister's statement was "not in consonance with our viewpoint", while Raja said here that the Left was "not in agreement" with it and "that is why we have asked the government not to operationalise the deal."

All the four parties wanted a debate in Parliament but none of them said that they wanted it under a rule which entails voting. Opposition BJP and the UNPA constituents want the debate to be held under such a rule.

The Left leaders were reacting to Singh's statement bluntly telling them that "it is not possible to renegotiate the deal. It is an honourable deal, the Cabinet has approved it, we cannot go back on it. I told them to do whatever they want to do, if they want to withdraw support, so be it...."

Yechury said the Left is going to oppose the nuclear deal "because of the reasons which we have given. Now, the Prime Minister and everybody else may think that those reasons are not valid, that is their opinion."

He said there was "difference of opinion" and "difference of perception" between Left and government on the deal.

There was no immediate comments from CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, who had warned the government that it will have to pay a "heavy political price" if it went ahead with the nuclear deal.

"We will oppose the deal in Parliament. The UPA is a minority in Parliament. If the government pursues the deal, we will also go to the people and it will have to pay a heavy political price," Karat, who is in Kerala, had said earlier.

Maintaining that the Left has always been "positive and constructive in its criticism" of the government, Raja said they opposed the deal as it was bound to impact the country's foreign, security and economic policies.

"Our views are based on our assessment of the international situation, Indo-US strategic relationship and in particular the nuclear deal. The Left is not in agreement with the government's position," he said, adding "that is why the Left has asked that the government should not operationalise the deal."

Referring to the Prime Minister's statement that the Left should learn to work with the government, RSP leader Abani Roy said "these are just threats" and "that does not mean that we have to surrender everywhere."

Forward Bloc leader G Devarajan said the Left had not promised the government of its support for the entire term of five years and "our support cannot be taken for granted."

"The Prime Minister's comments is unwarranted," he added.