The Left parties which met in New Delhi on Tuesday rejected the civilian nuclear agreement reached between India and the United States.
Those who attended the meeting included Prakash Karat (CPM), A B Bardhan of CPI, Abani Roy Revolutionary Socialist Party and G Devarajan of All India Forward block. They released five-page document at the end of the meeting. D Raja of CPI was also present while Sitaram Ychuri could not make it as he was out of Delhi.
"The left parties, after a careful assessment of the text of the 123 agreement and studying it in the context of the burgeoning strategic alliance with the United States, are unable to accept the agreement," Prakash Karat, general secretary of CPM told newsmen during the briefing.
The parties also urged upon the government of India to not proceed further with the operationalising of the agreement." There has to be a review of the strategic aspects of the Indo-US relations in Parliament. The left parties will press for a constitutional amendment for bringing international treaties and certain bilateral agreements for approval in parliament," he said.
Though they conceded that the stand of the left parties and that of Bhartiya Janata Party was almost alike but they refused to commit if they would ask for a joint parliamentary party probe into the agreement before going ahead with it.
The left parties felt that the government of India had surrendered its right to make independent decisions. While India would have to abide by Hyde Act for a period of 40 years and each year the US president in power would issue a certificate on whether or not India is complying with the treaty. US however, would have no such obligation.
They also decided to oppose the joint exercises by US, Australia, Japan and India in the Bay of Bengal from September 4 by organising a demonstration, which will begin in Bengal and end in Vishakhapattnam.