quot;Dr delivers the dosequot;

8220;I told them CPM8217;s Prakash Karat and CPI8217;s A B Bardhan that it is not possible to renegotiate the deal. It is an honourable deal, the Cabinet has approved it, we cannot go back on it. I told them to do whatever they want to do, if they want to withdraw support, so be it,8221; Singh was quoted as having said. 8220;I don8217;t get angry, I don8217;t want to use harsh words. They are our colleagues and we have to work with them. But they also have to learn to work with us.8221;

Reacting to this, Karat, who is in Kerala trying to douse his own intra-party fires, issued a terse statement reiterating his opposition to the nuclear deal. Pointing out that a majority in Parliament is opposed to the deal 8212; the BJP and the comrades are on the same side on the issue 8212; he sidestepped the 8220;withdraw-support8221; dare by saying: 8220;As far as the approach to the government is concerned, we will take our own counsel.8221;

As for the PM himself, on the sidelines of the Vice-President8217;s swearing-in this evening, he once again said that the nuclear deal was 8220;non-negotiable8221; 8212; adding that treaties are not negotiated like rabbits out of a hat 8212; but sugar-coated his earlier swipe: 8220;It his remark that if the Left withdraw support, so be it was a conditional statement8230;we will resolve all issues amicably.8221; Congress president Sonia Gandhi, too, echoed this. Asked if the party was preparing for a snap poll, she said, 8220;No, no, no.8221;

The PM, too, did not see any possibility of snap polls: 8220;Why do you think so? Where is the question of a mid-term poll?8221; As for a dialogue with the Left, he said, 8220;There are still 48 hours for his Monday statement in Parliament on the deal. We are all colleagues and all these things can be resolved.8221;

But Singh8217;s remarks seemed to have had their desired effect. Many of his Cabinet and Congress colleagues have welcomed his statement. With the Left tying the government8217;s hands on all policy issues see box, they said, the impression was that the Left had hijacked the government. 8220;Gandhigiri kab tak? He had to tell the Left thus far and no farther,8221; said a Cabinet Minister.

8220;The Prime Minister himself and other government8217;s spokespersons have put forward the government8217;s point of view in categorical terms in Parliament. Whatever doubts people had about the nuclear deal were addressed. Yet, if people continue to oppose it, the Prime Minister has to draw a line,8221; Tourism Minister Ambika Soni told The Sunday Express.

Pointing out the Left8217;s one-upmanship, an AICC general secretary close to 10, Janpath said, 8220;The High Command is 101 per cent with the PM on this. When the Congress Working Committee has taken a stand, how can we go back on it? Before going public with their rejection of the draft agreement, the Left should have discussed it with the Congress President or sought to use the UPA-Left coordination mechanism.8221;

8220;It was not the single issue of the nuclear deal. The Left wanted to change the direction of this government entirely. While Iran has consistently supported Pakistan in international forums, the Left wants the UPA government to sacrifice energy security of the country for Iran. When we need to join hands with the US and Europe on the issue of terror, the Left wants us to take guidance from China. You find similarly impractical and illogical ideas from the Left on economic issues as well. How long can you tolerate it?8221; said another Cabinet Minister.

8220;I think the PM has stated the factual position. In the given circumstances nothing more could have been done beyond whatever deal was done,8221; said Union Minister Subodhkant Sahay. 8220;They were criticizing the deal. If we did not say anything in response to Left8217;s criticism, people would say we are surrendering to the Left,8221; said his ministerial colleague Santosh Mohan Dev.

For the record, the party backed the PM choosing not to salt the Left8217;s wound. 8220;Whatever the PM has said is enough. We have nothing to add beyond that,8221; said AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi.

The Left supports this Government, and how

DIPLOMACY

8226; Opposed to any engagement with United States, particulary in defence and security.

8226; Protested against Bush8217;s visit, didn8217;t allow him to address the House

8226; Wants n-deal scrapped

8226; Opposed govt decision to vote against Iran in IAEA, backed Shia protest rally in Lucknow

8226; Opposed Indo-US exercise, will oppose naval exercises next month between India, Australia, US, Japan and Singapore

8226; Opposes FDI, in principle, but not when it came to China

ECONOMICS

8226; Blocked insurance reforms, that include raising FDI limit to 49 from 26, leaving sector starved for investments needed to expand insurance cover to India8217;s hugely underinsured

8226; Stalled Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority Bill, meaning savings of new govt employees under New Pension Scheme remain uninvested for almost three years. This despite the fact that almost all states except the three Left-ruled states joined NPS

8226; Constant pressure to stall PSU stake sales even though govt promised that a quarter of the proceeds will be re-invested in ailing PSUs and the bulk will go to fund social sector projects 8212; both pet Left causes.

8226; Organised protests against privatisation of Delhi, Mumbai airports; managed to keep Kolkata with AAI

8226; Opposed to Bill to open higher-education to foreign universities

POLITICS

8226; Rejected all frontline candidates of Congress. Finally, agreed to last-minute choice Pratibha Patil

8226; Decided who Vice-President will be