No Left climbdown on nuclear issue: Yechury

Categorically denying any 'climbdown' over its stand on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal and allowing the UPA government to hold talks with the IAEA, CPI-M politburo member Shitaram Yechury today said the Left stand on the deal remained unchanged.

The UPA-Left coordination committee on the issue has decided that the government could approach the international nuclear watchdog, but would not sign any deal and return to the committee, which will decide the future course of action, he said.

Yechury, who is a member of the committee, said "Earlier we opposed the government on approaching the IAEA and moving ahead from there on the way to inking the pact. But, now since the government promised it would return to the committee after consultations with the IAEA, without signing the deal, the Left agreed to it", he added.

Yechury repeated that the Left's stand on the nuclear pact remained unchanged.

The CPI-M leader was here in connection with selection of party candidates for Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh.

The CPI-M, which is contesting the polls in the hill state in "understanding" with the CPI, declared names of candidates on a total of seven seats in the 68-member house.