The Hindu : Front Page : Ball in government’s court: Left parties

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Thursday, Aug 30, 2007
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Ball in government’s court: Left parties

Special Correspondent

Yechury wants to know the time frame for setting up the mechanism
BAC to set date for debate in Parliament

NEW DELHI: After agreeing to the setting up of a mechanism to address their objections to the nuclear deal with the United States, the Left parties on Wednesday asserted that the proposed mechanism should be accompanied by a government statement that it will not the deal.

Top leaders of four Left parties, who met here formally after their earlier meetings with the Congress leaders, including External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A.K. Antony, reiterated their view that the government must put the deal on hold while it worked out the mechanism. The meeting was attended by Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat and Polit Bureau member and MP Sitaram Yechury, Communist Party of India general secretary A.B. Bardhan and the party’s national secretary and MP D. Raja, Revolutionary Socialist Party MP Abani Roy and Forward Bloc general secretary and MP Debabrata Biswas.

“The ball is in the government’s court and it must communicate to us as to when it proposes to set up a mechanism. We are reiterating our earlier stand that the deal must be put on hold,” D. Raja told The Hindu.

Earlier, at a regular briefing, Mr. Yechury said the Left would like to know the time frame for setting up the mechanism.

The government should not proceed further till the mechanism came out with its findings on the deal.

While the CPI (M), CPI and the Forward Bloc expressed their willingness to be part of such a mechanism, the RSP was the only discordant voice. However, indications are that it will also fall in line.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the Business Advisory Committee would meet on Thursday and set the date for a debate in Parliament.

BJP’s Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra demanded that the debate be held in accordance with the availability of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr. Mukherjee.

However, according to informed sources, the debate is likely to take place after September 5 when Parliament meets after the Janmashtami holiday and the government had set up the mechanism.

The Congress leadership too was busy chalking out a strategy for a meeting with the Left, most probably on Thursday, with United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Dr. Singh and Mr. Mukherjee holding discussions.

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