If Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pushed the Left into a corner daring them to withdraw support, the BJP rushed in to twist the knife today by asking the UPA’s make-or-break ally to join it in its campaign against the nuclear deal.Calling the PM’s statement in Parliament a “bundle of untruths, half-truths and pure white lies,” the BJP gave a fresh notice for a discussion under Rule 184 which entails voting. And Leader of Opposition L K Advani called CPM general secretary Prakash Karat seeking his cooperation in pressing the government to agree for such a discussion.A draft of the notice which calls for “renegotiation” of the agreement — the PM has called it “non-negotiable” — has also been sent to Karat by the BJP. “Karat told us he would study the issue and get back,” claimed BJP leader Yashwant Sinha.Although the CPM made it clear last week itself that they wouldn’t ask for voting, today it preferred to let the Government twist in the wind saying it would formulate its “exact strategy after the CPM Politburo meets on August 17 and 18.” The CPI secretariat will discuss the matter tomorrow.“It has been our stand that we cannot join hands with the BJP in voting against the Government”, said CPM MP Mohammed Salim.Amid indications that the Congress President Sonia Gandhi may intervene to lower the temperature — she will address the CPP tomorrow — Left leaders said there’s no going back on their opposition and they want the Government to “wait and see” what their strategy will be in Parliament.“The Prime Minister’s statement does not give any new point. It is only a defence of the agreement. There should be a thorough discussion in the House,” CPI national secretary D Raja said.But the BJP is emboldened, encouraged by the common ground that it achieved with other parties in Parliament today, particularly with the Left walking out of both Houses. “In the Rajya Sabha, 125 members of the BJP, UNPA and Left members walked out and this is more than half in a house of 244,” said BJP leader S S Ahluwalia.Earlier in the day, Advani first spoke to CPM Leader Basudeb Acharya and suggested the Left give a similar notice demanding discussion and voting. The UNPA has already given a separate notice for a Rule-184 discussion. The BJP’s notice says, “The House, having considered the Prime Minister’s statement on 13 August 2007 in respect of the 123 agreement signed with the USA is of the opinion that the agreement needs to renegotiated to ensure that the misgivings expressed by the parliament after the US Congress had passed the Hyde Act and the assurances given by the prime minister in response to the debate are fully addressed and India’s independence in so far its strategic and foreign policy is concerned is scrupulously protected.”BJP leaders Arun Shourie and Sinha said the PM’s statement “reduced Parliament to a farce.” “If the deal is signed and sealed and etched in stone, why does he want Parliament to go through the charade of a debate,” the BJP leaders asked. Meanwhile, on the Left’s demand for a Constitutional amendment for bringing international treaties and certain bilateral agreements for approval in Parliament, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is said to have conveyed to CPM’s Sitaram Yechury that it was “difficult” to give in on this.Not only does a Constitutional amendment require a two-thirds majority, no bilateral treaty is required to be ratified by Parliament, he is said to have told the CPM leader.
