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Parliament should express itself on the nuclear issue: Left parties

Special Correspondent

PM's suo motu statement will not do: Left

NEW DELHI: The Left parties on Friday emphasised the firm opinion that Parliament discuss the India-U.S. nuclear cooperation and express its sense, which would set the parameters of the agreement in order to counter any pressure and changes sought to be brought about. They said the Prime Minister cannot do this simply through a suo motu statement.

In a joint statement, four Left parties reiterated the July 22 stand regarding the agreement that the matter should be discussed in Parliament since the U.S. has attached a number of terms and conditions which affects the independent development of the country's nuclear technology and strategic autonomy.

The parties said the negotiations conducted with the U.S., the legislation which has been proposed in the committees of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the Congress all go to show that many changes have been brought about which are not in tune with those initially spelt out by the Prime Minister through his statement in Parliament on July 29 last. The Bill adopted in the House of Representatives also confirms this fact, they said.

"The Left parties are of the firm opinion that Parliament should discuss the matter so that the sense of Parliament is expressed whereby the parameters of the agreement can be defined to counter any pressures and changes sought to be brought about. This matter cannot wait till the legislation is finally adopted in the U.S. Congress,'' the statement said.

The parties urged the Government to realise that this was an issue of vital national importance and the opinion of Parliament, which cannot be expressed through a suo motu statement, had to be clearly spelt out now.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat, his CPI counterpart, A.B. Bardhan, All-India Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas and Revolutionary Socialist Party secretary Abani Roy issued the statement.

Addressing a press conference in Parliament, Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury said the Left parties were not trying for a resolution. However, discussions were on with other political parties and the Government as to in what fashion the sense of the House has to be expressed.

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