Iran vote violates policy: Left

The Left parties today demanded a debate in the forthcoming session of Parliament over India's stand at the March meeting of the.International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to discuss Iran's nuclear programme.

This comes a day after India voted in favour of a resolution reporting Iran to the UN Security Council, a move that has been criticised by the Samajwadi Party and the JD(U) as well.

The March meeting will take up the report of IAEA Director-General Mohammad El-Baradei on Tehran's nuclear programme.

After a meeting of the four Left parties, the leaders termed yesterday's resolution at the IAEA "questionable" and criticised the Indian stance as "regrettable" and "not in conformity with pursuit of an independent foreign policy and maintenance of good relations with Iran which is in our national interest."

"The Left parties reiterate that India should not be a party to any referral to the Security Council nor countenance any recommendation for taking action through the UNSC," the parties said in a joint statement. "The stand taken by India at the March meeting will be crucial," they said.

"At the present juncture, such a move will not be helpful in resolving the Iran nuclear issue through negotiations within the framework of the IAEA," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters.

The Left parties appreciated the role of the non-aligned countries which made "sustained efforts to dissuade the IAEA from adopting threatening moves against Iran".

Asked about the BJP's demand for an all-party meeting on Iran, CPI leader D Raja said, "Why do they want to bypass the Parliament? Everybody will have a right to give his views there."

Terming India's vote as "unacceptable", Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav said, "Iran has always been our friend and has supported us at various international fora."

Attacking the Manmohan Singh government for becoming a "direct party to the designs of the US" by voting against Iran, the Janata Dal (United) said the move was against national interest. The party said it would launch a nationwide agitation on the issue.

"India's vote breaches the broad national consensus on foreign policy," JD(U) leader and NDA convenor George Fernandes said. "Iraq was sought to be repeated in Iran and India was a party to it," he added.