Left leaves UPA with N-concern

The Left, on its part, gave way when told that the UPA response to their review of the government’s performance would come in two weeks at the next coordination meeting. Earlier, it had said that the response would be its only agenda for today’s meeting.

Left leaders also decided not to highlight their objections to the Pension Bill and the amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, saying they would bring their proposals to the next meeting.

Meanwhile, the government’s position on the issues of reciprocity with India on the nuclear deal were explained to the Left in the light of the PM’s statement in Parliament, that India’s commitment on the nuclear agreement would depend on and be reciprocal to the United States honouring its side of the agreement. India’s actions would depend on the actions taken by the United States.

The Left leaders said there were ‘‘serious concerns’’ because the United States had, according to them, brought up new issues on reciprocity and sequencing that had gone beyond the PM’s statement in Parliament. They called for a parliamentary committee to be formed to set out the parameters on which to proceed with the agreement.

Leaders from the CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc said fears were also raised at the manner in which the House of Representatives and Senate Committee had brought ‘‘add-ons’’ to the proposed deal that were not in conformity with nuclear technology development.