The Left parties will not allow the India-United States nuclear deal to move forward and will continue its support to the United Progressive Alliance government so long as it sticks to the Common Minimum Programme, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Prakash Karat said on Thursday.
"The government will last as long as the common minimum programme is carried out.
"As one of the CMP deals with the independent foreign policy, the operationalisation of the deal should not go ahead," he said at a public meeting.
"Our stand is not unreasonable. We have been opposing the deal right from the beginning as it is not in the interest of India," he added.
He asked the government to tell the US that "we cannot move forward on the deal".
Speaking at the meeting, Karat said the deal has to be seen in a broader perspective and should not be seen in isolation.
Nuclear deal is not about energy alone but it will result inflow of international retail establishments into India.
If nuclear deal goes through "India becomes a junior partner of the US," he said in a sarcastic tone and added that the Left will not allow it to happen.
Clarifying the Left stand on the issue, Karat said even if China agrees to support an exemption to India in the Nuclear suppliers Group Meet next month "our position is clear the deal is not in favour of people of India."
Karat said the deal was not just to meet the energy needs of the country but clearly to bring in the multinational retail establishments like Wal-Mart.
Karat said one of the big drawback of the Indo-US nuclear deal is that it will force India to buy nuclear reactors from the US and if it happens then they will sell power at twice the rate.
"You all know what happened in the case of Enron deal. This will be equivalent to 30 Ernons," he said adding that it will affect people from all walks of life.
Karat, said once the deal is through it would open the doors to defence cooperation as stated by the US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns. That means the missiles will be placed on Indian soil pointing to Russia and China.
He expressed the hope that the UPA leadership would not bypass the Left front on the nuclear issue.
Karat said "since the Gujarat election is due, the government has to decide on the political situation, as we must see that the BJP and Narendra Modi are defeated."
Speaking about the Coordination committee meeting (October 22), Karat, said, "issues on foreign investments will be discussed and we will also oppose entry of foreign universities and insurance companies among other issues."
CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said the nuclear deal is not in favour of India and therefore, "as long as we are supporting the government, we will not allow it to happen."
On October 22, "we will know the fate of the deal," Bardhan said.
The Left leaders asked the party workers to create awareness amongst the masses across the country.
