08-04-2006, 01:40 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>No political untouchability on national issues: Left </b>
Pioneer.com
Santanu Banerjee | New Delhi
Provoked by the prime ministerial threat that any joint move with the BJP on the issue of a statement or resolution on the Indo-US nuclear deal would presage the end of the UPA Government, the Left has decided to make a major shift in its stand.
The four Left parties have decided to make their stand on forcing the UPA Government over the nuclear deal politically more flexible by breaking the barrier of "untouchability on BJP".
The shift, which might even surprise the Congress, comes in the wake of the <b>Prime Minister talking tough with a delegation of Left leaders and warning them of serious political consequence if they formed any joint venture with the BJP on the nuclear deal.</b>
"We made our stand very clear that in Parliament when a national issue, like, the Indo-US nuclear deal is discussed it cannot be done in isolation. All parties are expected to participate in the debate in whatever shape - a resolution or statement - it comes from the Government," a top Left leader told The Pioneer.
<b>"National issues of such sensitive and far-reaching implication cannot be discussed in isolation. We cannot isolate the BJP," </b>CPI general secretary AB Bardhan said.
<b>"Don't forget that in Parliament everyone, including the BJP, participates in all-important business." </b>
Incidentally, briefing the media after the Polit Bureau meeting on Sunday, on a similar question, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat had said the <b>"Government must tell all-political parties in Parliament all about the deal so that Parliament can set parameters of such agreements."</b>
The shift of stand on Thursday came to notice when CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury and BJP's Sushma Swaraj almost led a coordinated campaign asking the UPA Government to pass a resolution on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
"It is foolish to talk about whether BJP participates or any other party, let us not forget, it is a national issue and whoever talks on divisive lines is trying to trivialise a very, very important issue,'' said a CPI(M) leader.
According to sources, the central CPI leadership on Thursday censured the party's parliamentary leader Gurudas Dasgupta for creating such a division by saying that the party will have no truck with the BJP on this issue.
Revolutionary Socialist Party leader Aboni Roy was equally vocal. "On such issues which must be discussed by all political parties, why Prime Minister should feel a full-House discussion will bring down the Government unless, it has something to fudge?''
"It is a national issue, and we cannot set a ban on any political party on a consensus," Roy told The Pioneer.
According to political observers, the Left shift of stand comes as a reaction to Prime Minister and Pranab Mukherjee trying to force the hand of the Left on the nuclear issue under "threat."
Incidentally, last week the Left even reconciled to the idea of giving up its insistence on a resolution to accommodate the Congress pressure. But repeated threats from Congress quarters have forced the Left to give it back to Manmohan Singh.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Congress is behaving like a dictator or Stalin force.
Do they know meaning of democracy? Why they are shying away from discussion?
Pioneer.com
Santanu Banerjee | New Delhi
Provoked by the prime ministerial threat that any joint move with the BJP on the issue of a statement or resolution on the Indo-US nuclear deal would presage the end of the UPA Government, the Left has decided to make a major shift in its stand.
The four Left parties have decided to make their stand on forcing the UPA Government over the nuclear deal politically more flexible by breaking the barrier of "untouchability on BJP".
The shift, which might even surprise the Congress, comes in the wake of the <b>Prime Minister talking tough with a delegation of Left leaders and warning them of serious political consequence if they formed any joint venture with the BJP on the nuclear deal.</b>
"We made our stand very clear that in Parliament when a national issue, like, the Indo-US nuclear deal is discussed it cannot be done in isolation. All parties are expected to participate in the debate in whatever shape - a resolution or statement - it comes from the Government," a top Left leader told The Pioneer.
<b>"National issues of such sensitive and far-reaching implication cannot be discussed in isolation. We cannot isolate the BJP," </b>CPI general secretary AB Bardhan said.
<b>"Don't forget that in Parliament everyone, including the BJP, participates in all-important business." </b>
Incidentally, briefing the media after the Polit Bureau meeting on Sunday, on a similar question, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat had said the <b>"Government must tell all-political parties in Parliament all about the deal so that Parliament can set parameters of such agreements."</b>
The shift of stand on Thursday came to notice when CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury and BJP's Sushma Swaraj almost led a coordinated campaign asking the UPA Government to pass a resolution on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
"It is foolish to talk about whether BJP participates or any other party, let us not forget, it is a national issue and whoever talks on divisive lines is trying to trivialise a very, very important issue,'' said a CPI(M) leader.
According to sources, the central CPI leadership on Thursday censured the party's parliamentary leader Gurudas Dasgupta for creating such a division by saying that the party will have no truck with the BJP on this issue.
Revolutionary Socialist Party leader Aboni Roy was equally vocal. "On such issues which must be discussed by all political parties, why Prime Minister should feel a full-House discussion will bring down the Government unless, it has something to fudge?''
"It is a national issue, and we cannot set a ban on any political party on a consensus," Roy told The Pioneer.
According to political observers, the Left shift of stand comes as a reaction to Prime Minister and Pranab Mukherjee trying to force the hand of the Left on the nuclear issue under "threat."
Incidentally, last week the Left even reconciled to the idea of giving up its insistence on a resolution to accommodate the Congress pressure. But repeated threats from Congress quarters have forced the Left to give it back to Manmohan Singh.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Congress is behaving like a dictator or Stalin force.
Do they know meaning of democracy? Why they are shying away from discussion?