WikiLeaks: 'Govt has succumbed to US pressure'

The opposition on Sunday slammed the government on WikiLeaks disclosures with CPI-M saying the main trend of these cables have shown that the government has been "succumbing to American pressures" and BJP accusing it of "completely failing" to grab the opportunity of getting LeT operative David Headley extradited.

The main trend of these cables have shown that "our government has been succumbing to American pressures... particularly on foreign policy (with the government) accepting the broad thrust of US policies," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat told media persons in New Delhi.

He was responding to questions about the former National Security Advisor M K Narayanan's comments as mentioned in the released cables.

"In the last 5-6 years, there has been continuous pressure and influence on our government and the political establishment," he said.

Charging the government with having no consistent policy against terrorism, senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Prakash Javadekar said it has to tackle terrorism on a different footing.

He said there was evidence with regard to Headley, who is being tried in an American court. "You had an opportunity (of getting him extradited)," he said.

"But, I think the government has completely failed to recognise this important fact and this would have nailed Pakistan much better. But, they lost this opportunity and now they must at least see if they can still do something because Headley is still in custody, and (his co-accused) Tahawwur Hussain Rana is still in custody," he said.

Karat also rejected WikiLeaks disclosures that some CPI-M leaders favoured foreign investment as one that should be taken "with a pinch of salt", claiming the Prime Minister had asked American retail chain Walmart in 2005 to "convince" then West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on allowing FDI in retail sector. But, Bhattacharjee had opposed it, he said.