After Buddha, Basu backs Indo-US nuke deal

Jyoti Basu echoed WB CM732;s words and stressed the need for nuclear energy in India.

Days after West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee pitched for nuclear power, veteran CPI-M leader Jyoti Basu on Friday echoed him by saying that the Indo-US nuclear deal was for atomic energy and hoped that the stand-off between the Left and the UPA government on the issue would ease.

8220;The Indo-US nuclear deal is for nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is necessary and there is a need for nuclear power plants. With new industries mushrooming, the demand for power will increase,8221; Basu told reporters after the party8217;s state secretariat meeting.

He also expressed hope that the conflict between Left parties and the UPA government over the Indo-US nuclear deal would ease after the CPI-M8217;s politburo and central committee meetings.

8220;CPI-M8217;s Politburo and Central Committee would meet in Kolkata from September 28 to October 1, which will be followed by a joint meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal. There could be some easing off of the situation,8221; he said.

He said problems have developed between the CPI-M and the UPA because the Common Minimum Programme was not being adhered to.

Asked whether he was for indigenous reactors or for foreign ones, Basu replied, 8220;I8217;m not a technical person. I don8217;t know which technology is appropriate.8221;

He said during his tenure as chief minister there was a proposal for setting up a nuclear power plant at Sagar in South 24 Parganas district. 8220;The Centre had told that nuclear power plants could not be set up at places where coal is available.8221;

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8220;We are against American imperialism, but we need foreign capital for industrialization,8221; Basu said.

8220;They foreign investors are not coming for charity, but for profit. We will also get benefit out of it. This would be on the basis of mutual interest,8221; he said.

Responding to another query, Basu made it clear that there was no difference in the party in its fight against communalism and imperialism contrary to media speculations.

8220;Certainly the media doesn8217;t determine our party policies. We are committed to fight both communalism and imperialism. There are various types of media reports being published.8221;

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Basu8217;s comment came amid media speculations that communists in Bengal were not endorsing Party general secretary Prakash Karat8217;s strident postures against the UPA government over the nuke deal.