Battlelines are being drawn: Left doesn146;t yield, Cong won146;t give in

With the four Left parties issuing yet another statement today that haven8217;t yielded an inch from their earlier position reiterating the call for a freeze on the next steps in the Indo-US nuclear deal..

With the four Left parties issuing yet another statement today that haven8217;t yielded an inch from their earlier position reiterating the call for a freeze on the next steps in the Indo-US nuclear deal 8212; committee or no committee 8212; the battlelines have hardened between the UPA and the Left.

In fact, even as crisis managers tried in vain to break the impasse, the UPA began a 8220;publicity drive8221; in anticipation of snap polls. The Ministry of External Affairs has sent to UPA leaders a dossier, including copies of the Hyde Act, the text of the 123 Agreement, and facts to counter the allegations of the Left and Opposition parties. Government sources said that this will be sent to all UPA MPs so that they can 8220;present a correct picture of the deal to the people8221;.

These documents, for instance, cite the Left8217;s double standards on testing. While the Left claimed to be opposed to nuclear tests, it now opposes the nuclear deal on the plea that it impinges on India8217;s sovereign right to conduct tests.

Again, it was the NDA regime that imposed a voluntary moratorium on nuclear tests and even sought to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty 8212; the same NDA that8217;s now opposing the deal.

At the same time, the ruling party fielded Union Minister Kapil Sibal to address 8220;misgivings8221; on the deal because of 8220;preconceived notions8221;. Strongly defending the deal, Sibal said that its operationalisation was anyway not possible in 2007. 8220;Please have a dialogue and then decide,8221; he appealed to the Left. 8220;Why are you deciding before hearing us?8221;

8220;Everyone wants to resolve the crisis but nobody knows how to,8221; summed up a senior Congress member involved in talks with the Left. The only reason why everyone wants to resolve the stalemate is to avoid an election. Otherwise, Congress and Left positions are irreconcilable and the the parting of ways inevitable.

Another key member of the Congress leadership said it was up to the Left to take the next step. 8220;We cannot stop the IAEA negotiations, the Left can decide what they want to do in the meantime.8221;

Story continues below this ad

Although they admit that the Left could withdraw support to the government, Congress managers are confident the comrades won8217;t topple the government by moving a no-confidence motion. In effect, one of the scenarios being discussed, is the prospect of running a minority government as long as it lasts.

For, although the Left is firm on withdrawing support if the government goes ahead with IAEA negotiations, there is little clarity on what happens next. This has made one section in the Congress confident that the Left cannot go anywhere but backwards, at least accepting to let the talks proceed on the condition that nothing binding will be signed.

Meanwhile, the deadlock continued with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee telling CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury that the government had no problem in setting up a committee to evaluate the implications of the Hyde Act but wasn8217;t ready to freeze negotiations with the IAEA.

Although the government grudgingly agreed to consider the Left8217;s proposal for a committee to discuss the Hyde Act, there is unease in the ruling camp. 8220;By constituting any such committee, we will suggest that the government went into the 123 without studying the implications of the Hyde Act. Do we want to suggest that?8221; said a Congress general secretary.

Story continues below this ad

Sibal shared the opinion. 8220;No international agreement can be a subject to any committee. If there are any doubts, we are ready to clarify,8221; he said.

Later in the day, the Left parties further hardened their stand and said: 8220;The Government should not proceed further with the agreement. This would require not taking the next step of negotiations for the safeguards agreement with the IAEA.8221;

Regarding the 8220;setting up of a committee or mechanism8221; which can go into the objections regarding the agreement and evaluating the implications of the Hyde Act for the nuclear cooperation deal8221;, the statement of the Left parties said 8220;But this can follow only when the next step at the IAEA is not taken8221;.

However, the Left parties, for the first time, appealed to 8220;all the parties8221; in the UPA to 8220;see the reasonableness of the stand8221; taken by them which is 8220;fully in the spirit of our parliamentary democracy and the Government8217;s commitment to the country8217;s welfare.8221;