The Hindu : National : Left communalising nuclear deal, says BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 26, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Left communalising nuclear deal, says BJP

Neena Vyas

Karat says Pandhe’s remarks on Samajwadi Party are not views of the CPI(M)

BJP reiterates opposition to nuclear deal
“UPA, Left trying to divert people’s attention from inflation”

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday criticised the Left parties, especially the Communist Party of India (Marxist), for “communalising nuclear deal politics” and “foreign policy issues” even as CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat made it clear that Polit Bureau member M.K. Pandhe’s remarks were “not the views of the party.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Pandhe said the Samajwadi Party should be warned that if it supported the government on the nuclear deal it would lose Muslim votes.

BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu told journalists that there was no reason why Muslims, like all other citizens, should not think in terms of India’s national interest, not the interest of China.

“The Left stands totally exposed as it is looking at an international agreement on the basis of divisive politics based on religion and religious identities,” he claimed.

Asked about the Shiv Sena’s support to the deal, Mr. Naidu said he had not read the editorial in Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna.

“The BJP is opposed to the deal on grounds different from those publicly expressed by the Left,” Mr. Naidu said, but emphasised that the BJP wanted friendly and strategic relations with the United States.

Instead of continuing with the “farce” of United Progressive Alliance-Left meetings on the deal when the Left had made it clear it would remain opposed to it, the right thing for them would be to call off these meetings, Mr. Naidu said.

“The Left should ask the government to discuss the real issues of inflation, the crisis in agriculture, shortage in fertilizers, and other problems affecting the common people,” he said.

“Delaying tactics”

Mr. Naidu alleged that the UPA and the Left were trying to “divert people’s attention” from inflation. This was clear from the delaying tactics adopted yet again at Wednesday’s meetings with no deadlines and no clarity on when the findings of the so-called panel would be made available, Mr. Naidu added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National