The Hindu : National : Bardhan wants support redefined

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 18, 2007
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Bardhan wants support redefined

NEW DELHI: A day after its strident posture against the United Progressive Alliance Government on the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, the Communist Party of India on Friday toned down its stand suggesting “redefining” of Left parties’ support to the ruling coalition and issuing “merit-based” backing to it.

The four Left parties are likely to meet next week after the debate on nuclear deal in Parliament and the CPI will put forth its idea of “merit-based” support wherein the government will have to consult them on every key decision.

“The sort of outside support the Left parties give to the government has to be redefined,” CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan told journalists after a nearly five-hour meeting of the party Central Secretariat.

“The support can no longer be taken for granted,” he said and contended that the nuclear deal had climaxed the “pressure of imperialist forces” on the government’s economic and foreign policies. He said the performance of the UPA government needed to be “critically reviewed” and asked other Left parties to decide jointly on the issue of support.

Mr. Bardhan’s remarks came a day after he had said that the honeymoon with the Government was over and withdrawal of support to it by Left parties seemed inevitable. — PTI

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