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New Delhi: The Left parties are doing their best to bring down the government. Gulf News spoke to A B Bardhan, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, on the current situation.
GULF NEWS: Where has your party's 'operation topple' reached?
A B BARDHAN: We never wanted to topple the government deliberately. In the term of 5 years, just 8 to 10 months were left. But a number of issues erupted, including inflation. Prices of all essential commodities went up, which is affecting the people.
The Left made number of suggestions, but none were accepted. Negating the issues, the government, in addition, went ahead in a single-minded way with the India-US civil nuclear deal. We had differences with them even on this issue and despite discussions for 8-10 months nothing came of it.
The government had set up a joint committee to look into the issue and had assured that it would go ahead with the deal only after receiving the findings of the committee.
But they did not wait for the findings. The Prime Minister was so insistent and suddenly declared going ahead with the deal. We were left with no choice but to withdraw support.
But you never withdrew support on the inflation issue that concerns the common man and did on the nuclear deal which few understand. At the time of elections what will you tell people?
I am personally of the opinion that the right time for withdrawing support should have been on the issue of spiraling prices. Agreed, that the nuclear deal is not an issue that concerns the masses. But yes, we have been fighting for the last few months on the issue of inflation.
The Left has been conducting vigorous campaigns and the public knows this. It is the Congress who ignored it. In the election campaign, the nuclear deal will receive only a passing mention. The issue will be price rise.
A man of integrity, former President APJ Abdul Kalam sure would have seen more merits than demerits to give his consent to the nuclear deal.
President Kalam is only one of the scientists 'for' the deal and I would not denigrate him. But there are other scientists directly involved with atomic science.
They include Gopal Krishnan, A N Prasad and P K Iyengar, who have issued a joint statement against the nuclear deal. Also, others like G Parthasarthy have been writing against the deal.
Could you cite one reason of its negative impact on the country?
It would affect our sovereignty and independent foreign policy. To push the deal through and please the Americans, even the question of gas pipeline with Iran was put on the backburner and negotiations stopped.
The whole propaganda that the nuclear deal will satisfy all our energy needs is not true.
Presently, we have only 2.8 per cent of nuclear energy. And according to the government calculations, if the deal gets through and countries including Russia and France supply us with reactors and nuclear fuel, by 2020 it will increase only up to 7 per cent.
But the cost will be very high. In a tropical country like ours, we should rather research and build up technology based upon solar power.
But the Congress, and now their ally Amar Singh of Samajwadi Party, are also talking of sovereignty and not compromising on foreign policy.
But the deal is against the national interest. And a highly exaggerated picture is being given that it will meet our energy requirements. The military strategic partnership with the US will harm our good relations with several countries including the Middle East and other Islamic countries.
Surely, Indians would like to see their country progress. Scuttling the nuclear deal would mean restricting India from moving forward.
I agree that technology transfer is necessary. But we have the most talented scientists holding a large scientific persona. They have been trying to develop technology based on our own resources. So, nuclear deal or no nuclear deal, the country will move forward.
You met the Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh. What was the outcome of the meeting?
Ajit Singh is an old friend. He said that he was against the nuclear energy itself and, therefore, against the deal. But his dilemma is that if the government falls, what next.
How do you view Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's present position? Is it that he does not want to give up the power? Or he is okay with the nuclear deal?
A speaker occupies a certain position. I think he is trying to underline that. But then he has been elected on the ticket of one party that has withdrawn its support to the government.
Would you term his reluctance in resigning from the post as breach of party indiscipline?
In a way it is.
Before submitting the letter to the President, would it not have been better to take his assent about including his name among the MPs who would vote against the UPA government? Or are things taken for granted?
That is what has affected him. The party submitted a list of all the elected members. But there could have been a footnote saying that he is a Speaker.
The Left has joined hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the first time. How long will this association last?
Uttar Pradesh is the largest State and you cannot ignore that BSP has made its presence there. There has been an effort to reach out to Mayawati. But then she has her own ways.
Fanciful ways?
I cannot say that!
Are there any possibilities of an alliance with the Congress again? Or is the Left's relationship with it damaged beyond repair?
Congress is a major party and will remain so whether it wins the trust vote or not. It has certain secular traditions, though it might have committed occasional breaches of those traditions. In politics nothing can be termed as damage beyond repair. But yes, presently, there is a split between us.
The public is miffed with the present scenario. Some party making-up with the minority community, while another running to the criminals for support. That's today's politics?
That is an unfortunate thing. While some MPs are in jail pending prosecution, some have been convicted for murder. Under an appeal, they have not seized to be Members of Parliament and will come out to vote. First they will bail themselves out and then try to bail out the government!
You think the Congress will win the trust vote, as is felt, with a slender margin?
The whole call is so narrow that winning and losing might be by just a handful of votes
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