Monitoring Indian Communists - 2

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Left will not vote with BJP, says Basu

Special Correspondent

"If BJP has same views on the issue we cannot help it. We have communicated to Government our objections"

KOLKATA : The Bharatiya Janata Party might share the views of the Left parties on the nuclear deal with the United States but that does not mean that the latter would vote with it against the United Progressive Alliance Government on the issue, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu said here on Monday. "If the BJP has the same views on the issue, we cannot help it", he said when asked by newspersons whether the Left parties and the BJP, who were opposed to the nuclear deal, would join ranks if it came to a vote in Parliament.

Two days ago, Mr. Basu reiterated that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was not for bringing down the UPA Government, though it had strong reservations against the Centre's pro-U.S. stance.

Objections communicated

"We have communicated to the Government our objections [to the nuclear deal] and have said so in writing. But they [the Centre] are not listening", Mr Basu said emerging from a meeting of the CPI (M)'s State Committee.

The Left parties had demanded that the matter be discussed in Parliament "so that the people can know the views of the different parties.''

The former Chief Minister, however, declined to comment either on the findings of the Justice Pathak Inquiry Authority that has reportedly indicted the former External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, in the Iraq oil-for-food scam or on whether Mr. Singh had been made a scapegoat in the controversy.

"The Prime Minister has said that he will make a statement. I would not like to comment [on the matter]," Mr. Basu said.