With less than a week to go for a crucial trust vote, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has one word of advice for Congress’ alliance partners: jump the sinking ship before it’s too late.Addressing a public meeting organised by the Left parties on Wednesday evening to clarify their stand on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal and to protest the spiralling prices, Karat urged the UPA partners and others to join the Left in bringing about an alternative to the Congress or BJP — a Third Front, which incidentally the Left had rejected a while ago.“The Congress is a sinking ship. Jump off that ship as quickly as possible. We will bring about a realignment of political forces. We will take the initiative to gather all other democratic and secular forces in the country,” said Karat.Karat termed the recent bonhomie between the Congress and Samajwadi Party as ‘opportunistic’, warning the Congress that it would pay dearly for preferring ‘these elements’ over the Communist parties.The Left would not compromise on the nuclear issue as long as the US has the Hyde Act on its statute books, he said.Ridiculing criticisms that the Left was aiding the communal BJP in bringing down the UPA Government, Karat said: “If you think you can join the US and fight communalism in India, it is not possible. You will only help the BJP. The entire record of the BJP is that it is the most pro-American party in the country.”
