Samajwadi Party still undecided on support to UPA

Samajwadi Party on Saturday made it clear that it has not yet decided on supporting the ruling United Progressive Alliance government on the India-United States nuclear agreement and would take a step only when a no-confidence motion is moved in Parliament.

The Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party also sought to play down criticism by its United National Progressive Alliance partners Indian National Lok Dal and Telugu Desam Party for its move to back the Congress, claiming nothing had changed from the last meeting of the fledgling Third Front held on Thursday.

"Neither has the Congress asked for support nor have we offered our support," Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh told reporters in New Delhi on Saturday.

He noted that the Left has been threatening the UPA of withdrawal of support on the nuclear deal issue for the past one year but has not done so yet.

"We will decide when the confidence motion is moved in Parliament," Singh said, making a strong pitch in favour of the nuclear deal.

The SP leader said eminent scientist and former President A P J Abdul Kalam had told him that the nuclear deal was in the national interest and he had no reason not to believe him.

Singh said that National Security Adviser M K Narayanan had briefed him about the deal and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made a public statement that the deal is in national interest.

Contending that the SP was 'committed' to the principles of secularism, Singh termed Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani and communal politics as 'more dangerous' than United States President George W Bush.

Taking a dig at the Left parties, Amar Singh said he "saluted them for making a great sacrifice by supporting arch rival Congress for the last four years."

"My party would not have been capable of such sacrifices," he said, claiming that the Congress did not have any significance presence in Uttar Pradesh.

On INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala distancing himself from the SP, Singh claimed that it was the former Haryana chief minister who had suggested that the UNPA seek Kalam's opinion on the nuclear deal. Chautala rejected Singh's claim.

"I do not know why TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu and Chautala are criticising us. Nothing has changed since the last meeting of the UNPA," Singh said.