Left-UPA tensions resurface

Dissaffection spreading to issues other than nuclear deal.

A day after the United Progressive Alliance-Left meeting, held to bridge differences between the government and Left on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, relations between the two groups deteriorated significantly.

This despite indications from both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi last week that the government might put the nuclear agreement on hold indefinitely in the light of Left objections.

In yesterday's meeting, the government gave several indications that time and patience was running out.

A senior Cabinet minister reportedly told the Left parties at the meeting: "If you want to withdraw support, you are free to do so. You are always talking of confronting the government. Then why are you supporting us?" Significantly, UPA allies backed the government's assertive stance.

After yesterday's meeting, a new aggression is being seen in the statements issued by both the Congress and the Left but on issues other than the Indo-US nuclear deal as well.

The Congress criticised the Left front government in West Bengal over alleged food riots and irregularities in the Public Distribution System (PDS) yesterday. The CPI(M)'s reply was an acerbic taunt on the UPA government's economic performance.

"In the 'booming economy', 3,500 tribal children in five districts of Maharashtra have died due to malnutrition," its statement today said.

Terming the Congress as ill-informed, the statement said, "the Congress would do well to also study the recent report of the National Family Health Service which shows that malnutrition has increased in the last few years".

In an apparent move to marshal forces, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat met senior United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) leaders Chandrababu Naidu, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Amar Singh and Ram Gopal Yadav.

Karat discussed the nuclear deal but significantly also asked for their support to attack the government on issues like price rise and agricultural distress. Left sources said he also asked the UNPA to stay away from the BJP demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the nuclear agreement.

Later in the day, UNPA leaders held a meeting to chalk out their future strategy on the issue. They decided that the nuclear deal should be operationalised only after Parliamentary approval.

The three-week gap between yesterday's meeting and the next one slated for November 16, according to sources, is to allow the Left time to find some "flexibility" in their opposition to the deal. In yesterday's meeting, a UPA minister told CPI leader A B Bardhan that "this (the stalemate) cannot carry on, you have to show flexibility".

"We have made our position clear. Government has hopes. government is still trying (to secure our support for the deal). But we have made our position clear," Bardhan said.

"The next meeting will be the last meeting. The committee will come out with its findings. But everybody knows what the findings will be: they will say something and we will say just the opposite," Bardhan added.

Meanwhile, the PM reportedly told a prominent NRI group from the US today that he was hopeful of a solution to the logjam with the Left parties on the nuclear deal.

Singh conveyed this view to a group led by US-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) Chairman Sanjay Puri, USINPAC Director Robinder Sachdev told PTI.

"We got a sense that he is open to the idea of discussion in Parliament on the deal," he said.

A 10-member delegation, comprising top politically active Indian-American businessmen, is in the capital to interact with leaders across the political spectrum and understand their stand on the nuclear deal with the US.

Sachdev said the PM also noted that the BJP had opposed the deal citing certain strategic issues and expressed readiness to convey to them that the strategic component had been taken care of.

He said Singh also told them that the deal did not compromise India's position to pursue an independent foreign policy.

Singh also thanked the Indian-American community for backing the deal and lobbying in its favour in their adopted homeland.