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Government not in majority on deal: CPI

Special Correspondent

Gurudas Dasgupta seeks consensus

NEW DELHI: A day after the debate in the Lok Sabha on the India-U.S. civilian nuclear deal, the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Thursday claimed that the government was “not in a majority” on the deal in Parliament. It reiterated the Left parties’ stand that the 123 agreement should not be operationalised as it went against national interests.

“See the number of parties which opposed the deal during the debate on Wednesday and their respective strengths in the Lok Sabha. The government is not in a majority on the deal,” party leader Gurudas Dasgupta told journalists here.

Asked about the “softening” of stand by the Samajwadi Party, he maintained that it opposed the deal during the discussion and was not in its favour. Suggesting that the government evolve a national consensus on the matter, he said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s reply to the discussion was “unsatisfactory” as it did not address all the concerns.

Price rise

The CPI, he said, would raise the issue of price rise, which was “man-made,” and ask the government to take immediate steps to meet the situation. Besides, the party intended to take up Special Economic Zones and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for discussion.

On Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, Mr. Dasgupta said she should be free to live in India and write. It was a pity that she had to leave Kolkata, a city where she yearned to live. He demanded that the government give her a permanent visa.

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