The Hindu : National : No empty threat: Brinda Karat

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Monday, Aug 27, 2007
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No empty threat: Brinda Karat

Special Correspondent

“U.S. may make India its military base in South-East Asia”
UPA government accused of violating coalition “dharma”

AHMEDABAD: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member, Brinda Karat, on Sunday said her party was “extremely serious” on the nuclear deal and its demand for not “operationalising” the deal should not be taken as an “empty threat.”

Talking to mediapersons here, Ms. Karat, who was on a day’s visit to Gujarat to discuss the party’s strategy for the coming elections to the State Assembly and other issues, said the CPI(M) had all along taken the stand that India should maintain an independent foreign policy and its sovereignty could not be allowed to be undermined through any agreement.

She said the Common Minimum Programme for the Congress-led UPA government was formulated in 2005 on the same premises that it would not pursue the foreign policy of the previous NDA government, which was pushing India into the U.S.-led block.

“Ball in Congress court”

Reiterating that the “ball is in the Congress court,” Ms. Karat said her party want the present government to continue for the full term, provided it agreed to strictly follow the Common Minimum Programme and did not deviate from the “set rules.”

She said the CPI(M) even had no problem with the Indian representative attending the annual meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) scheduled next month, but the government should not put any “India-specific” agenda at the meeting. Claiming that no country in the world except China was buying the U.S. nuclear reactors, Ms. Karat said the millions of dollars of the American business houses were at stake on the deal. In addition, the U.S. could also make India its base for military operations in the South-East Asia if the deal was put through.

She accused the UPA government of violating the “dharma” of coalition and said it should be able to honour the viewpoints of all its partners and those supporting from outside.

She disagreed that her party had anything to do with the BJP and said the CPM could not be bracketed with the BJP which had “changed its stand” on the nuclear deal “while we have maintained our consistent stand.”

She declined to answer a question on the possibility of a mid-term Parliamentary election stating that it was a “hypothetical scenario.”

She hinted that at least the current session of Parliament scheduled up to September 14 would go on unhindered when the government was expected to take up two important Bills one on the unorganised labour and the other on women’s reservation.

Her party was looking forward to both the Bills, she said.

Gujarat elections

Ms. Karat said her party would contest the Gujarat elections on its own but was yet to finalise the number of candidates it intended to put up.

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