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It is for Congress to take a call: CPI

Special Correspondent

“Left’s opposition to deal reasonable”

D. Raja

NEW DELHI: A day after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-Left committee on civilian nuclear deal with the United States decided to complete the formality of finalising its findings in due course, the Left parties on Thursday maintained that it was up to the Congress to take a political call on whether it wanted to proceed ahead with the deal or not.

Yechury meets Pranab

While CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and MP Sitaram Yechury met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, CPI national secretary D. Raja said the Congress should be blamed if the country was faced with an early Lok Sabha election.

“If an early election becomes inevitable, the Left parties should not be held responsible, the Congress should be held responsible,” Mr. Raja told journalists.

The Left’s opposition to the deal was based on “reasonable, firm and consistent” arguments, he pointed out.

Asked whether the BJP would gain from Left’s stand, he said nobody could point fingers at the Left if the government falls. “We have supported the UPA for the past over four years with a purpose to keep the BJP at bay. You cannot accuse us of aiding the BJP,” he said.

UNPA meeting

On reports that the Samajwadi Party was inching closer to the Congress on the nuclear deal, he said they were in touch with United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) leaders on the matter.

He pointed out that the UNPA was meeting on July 3 to chalk out its strategy.

Other Left leaders said it was up to the Congress to decide whether it wanted to go ahead with the nuclear deal and trigger the fall of the government or not.

“The Congress has to take a call on holding general election ahead of the schedule in case it decides to go ahead with the deal,” a senior leader said.

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