07-08-2008, 12:46 PM
BREAKING NEWS:
Left to announce withdrawal of support to UPA shortly.
Formal announcement is expected shortly.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?...ess=1&id=212132
<b>
Left parties may pull the plug today</b>
Statesman News Service
NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, July 7: Incensed at the Prime Ministerâs announcement that the government was approaching the IAEA for a safeguards agreement within hours of the government fixing the UPA-Left committee meeting on 10 July, the Left parties are all set to withdraw their outside support to the UPA government tomorrow.
The Left parties today received a reply to their 4 July letter from the UPA-Left committee convener and foreign minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, stating that the government was ready to discuss with the Left the âdraftâ safeguards agreement with the IAEA, and invited them for a meeting of the committee on 10 July. Soon after they received the letter, there were reports that the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had on board his flight to Japan to attend the G-8 summit told reporters that the government would shortly move to the IAEA for the safeguards agreement en route to operationalising the Indo-US nuclear deal.
The Left leaders said their scheduled meeting tomorrow to discuss the governmentâs reply would take note of the situation and they could withdraw support tomorrow itself. To complete the formality early in the day, the Left has advanced its meeting from 4 p.m. to 11.30 a.m.
The Left leaders said their decision to withdraw support to the government remained unchanged if the government decided to go ahead with the nuclear deal. Now that the Prime Minister himself had confirmed the decision in no uncertain terms, the Left would also announce its response as soon as possible. They said the 10 July meeting of the UPA-Left committee was meaningless and expressed doubts on whether it would actually take place. Mr Mukherjeeâs letter, they said, did not respond to the issues raised there but suggested another meeting of the joint committee.
The Left leaders, Mr Prakash Karat (CPI-M), Mr AB Bardhan (CPI), Mr Debabrata Biswas (FB) and Mr TJ Chandrachoodan (RSP) had wanted the government to clarify âdefinitely whether the government is proceeding to seek the approval of the safeguards agreement by the Board of Governors of the IAEAâ. Seeking a reply by 7 July, the Left had said its query arose as several ministers and leaders of the ruling coalition had said that the Centre was going ahead with the nuclear deal.
Earlier in the day, fb general secretary Mr Debabrata Biswas said the Left parties had decided to pull the plug on 10 July when they wanted to submit to the President a letter indicating they were withdrawing support to the UPA government. RSP leader Mr Abani Roy said: âThe Left has to take a strong stand now.â CPI leader Mr AB Bardhan said: âWe will decide tomorrowâ.
Left to announce withdrawal of support to UPA shortly.
Formal announcement is expected shortly.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?...ess=1&id=212132
<b>
Left parties may pull the plug today</b>
Statesman News Service
NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, July 7: Incensed at the Prime Ministerâs announcement that the government was approaching the IAEA for a safeguards agreement within hours of the government fixing the UPA-Left committee meeting on 10 July, the Left parties are all set to withdraw their outside support to the UPA government tomorrow.
The Left parties today received a reply to their 4 July letter from the UPA-Left committee convener and foreign minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, stating that the government was ready to discuss with the Left the âdraftâ safeguards agreement with the IAEA, and invited them for a meeting of the committee on 10 July. Soon after they received the letter, there were reports that the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had on board his flight to Japan to attend the G-8 summit told reporters that the government would shortly move to the IAEA for the safeguards agreement en route to operationalising the Indo-US nuclear deal.
The Left leaders said their scheduled meeting tomorrow to discuss the governmentâs reply would take note of the situation and they could withdraw support tomorrow itself. To complete the formality early in the day, the Left has advanced its meeting from 4 p.m. to 11.30 a.m.
The Left leaders said their decision to withdraw support to the government remained unchanged if the government decided to go ahead with the nuclear deal. Now that the Prime Minister himself had confirmed the decision in no uncertain terms, the Left would also announce its response as soon as possible. They said the 10 July meeting of the UPA-Left committee was meaningless and expressed doubts on whether it would actually take place. Mr Mukherjeeâs letter, they said, did not respond to the issues raised there but suggested another meeting of the joint committee.
The Left leaders, Mr Prakash Karat (CPI-M), Mr AB Bardhan (CPI), Mr Debabrata Biswas (FB) and Mr TJ Chandrachoodan (RSP) had wanted the government to clarify âdefinitely whether the government is proceeding to seek the approval of the safeguards agreement by the Board of Governors of the IAEAâ. Seeking a reply by 7 July, the Left had said its query arose as several ministers and leaders of the ruling coalition had said that the Centre was going ahead with the nuclear deal.
Earlier in the day, fb general secretary Mr Debabrata Biswas said the Left parties had decided to pull the plug on 10 July when they wanted to submit to the President a letter indicating they were withdrawing support to the UPA government. RSP leader Mr Abani Roy said: âThe Left has to take a strong stand now.â CPI leader Mr AB Bardhan said: âWe will decide tomorrowâ.