The Hindu : National : Our objections remain unaddressed, says Left

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Friday, Jun 13, 2008
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National

Our objections remain unaddressed, says Left

Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India on Thursday maintained their opposition to the civilian nuclear deal, asserting that their apprehensions and objections still remained unaddressed.

Both parties said they were not opposed to the negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as such but their objection to the 123 Agreement and the Hyde Act still remained.

The United Progressive Alliance-Left joint Committee on the deal is scheduled to meet here on June 18.

“Our objection is not with the IAEA. It is with the 123 Agreement, which according to us is very deeply anchored in the Hyde Act [of the U.S.],” CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, who is also a member of the UPA-Left Committee told reporters here.

Asked if they would allow signing of the safeguards agreement if the government delinked it with the 123 Agreement, he said: “Let them say that. It all depends on what the government says on June 18.”

‘Not acceptable’

Mr. Yechury said the Hyde Act, under which the U.S. can have civil nuclear cooperation with India, has “many features that are objectionable and not acceptable with regard to India’s sovereignty.”

CPI national secretary D. Raja, who is also a member of the UPA-Left committee, said his party was not against the multilateral global regulatory body. Their objection to the nuclear deal pertained to the 123 Agreement and the controversial Hyde Act.

The UPA-Left committee has been trying to iron out differences between the government and its Left allies for the past more than six months.

New Delhi had concluded negotiations for the safeguards agreement with the IAEA but it would need the approval of the committee before signing it.

Manmohan’s optimism

On the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s comments on Wednesday expressing optimism that the nuclear deal would move ahead in the coming months, Mr. Yechury said Dr. Singh had only reiterated his known position on the deal.

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