Amidst protests by Left, MoD clears Nimitz visit

As reported by The Indian Express, America had sought consent for a friendly port call as a sign of changing Indo-US relations. USS Nimitz is on its way from the Persian Gulf and is expected to remain in the Indian Ocean region for some time. The carrier was located near the straits of Hormuz for the past two months as tensions grew on the Iran nuclear crisis.

While the port call is being seen as a sign of warming relations between the countries, Defence Minister A K Antony sought to downplay the affair by saying it was part of regular ‘defence cooperation’ with US.

“Ships of various countries visit Indian ports. This (the Nimitz visit) is nothing new,” Antony told mediapersons on the sidelines of a defence accounts function on Monday morning.

The Government’s apprehension about the Left latching on the issue—it has been critical of India’s stand on the Iran nuclear programme —proved true as CPI (M) took exception to the speedy clearance.

“We would like to know what compulsions the Government had in taking such a decision. The government should explain it,” senior leader Sitaram Yechury said at the sidelines of the party’s central committee meeting.

Yechury severely criticised the decision by saying that New Delhi’s principled position had been that no facilities in the country should be extended to nuclear warships.

The Left parties, which had strongly opposed joint Indo-US air exercises in Kalaikunda in 2005, have sought an explanation from the Government on the issue.

Meanwhile, the United States on Monday called the port call by the nuclear powered aircraft carrier a “landmark” event in Indo-US bilateral relations. “The first ever port call in India by a US aircraft carrier and a landmark event in US-India bilateral relations,” the American embassy here said in a release.

The embassy said sailors from the ship would volunteer in numerous goodwill events like cleaning local sites, refurbishing buildings and interacting with different members of the community.