The Hindu : Front Page : Nuclear issue cannot be seen in isolation: CPI(M)

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Monday, Aug 01, 2005

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Nuclear issue cannot be seen in isolation: CPI(M)

Special Correspondent

Joint statement, defence deal, nuclear issue must be considered

NEW DELHI: Reiterating its stand on India-U.S. relations, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Sunday said the joint statement issued after the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh showed the "continuation of the trend" of New Delhi being accommodated as an ally of Washington.

Underlining three aspects of the bilateral relations, the party Polit Bureau said that besides the joint statement, the India-U.S. Defence Framework Agreement and the nuclear issue had to be taken into account.

Party general secretary Prakash Karat said that the nuclear issue could not be seen in isolation. Refuting reports of the party going "soft" or "hard" (on the United Progressive Alliance Government), he said such interpretations were made by round-the-clock television news channels to fill time.

"You will know what we have to say when our MPs participate in the debate (on Dr. Singh's suo moto statement on his Washington visit) in Parliament," Mr. Karat said.

The Polit Bureau also decided to conduct seminars across the country to tell people about the "harmful" aspects of these developments, he said.

Addressing a press conference on the two-day deliberations, Mr. Karat said all three aspects of its viewpoints should be read together.

Besides the stand on the joint statement, the Polit Bureau said it considered the defence framework agreement another step towards India serving the global strategy of the United States which was harmful for the country's strategic and security interests.

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