NEW DELHI, 19 August 2007 — Efforts made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders to convince the left bloc about the credentials of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal virtually collapsed yesterday with the latter refusing to budge.

The high-powered Congress core group held an urgent meeting to chalk out their strategy yesterday evening at the prime minister’s residence immediately after the left parties voiced their stand on the deal.

The left leaders revealed their stand following consultations among their members and the two-day politburo meeting of the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

Before announcing their strategy, CPI-M leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury held a meeting with the prime minister, which was also attended by Congress president and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

During the hourlong meeting, the left leaders said that the minimum they expected from the government was that the deal, which has been rejected outright by them, is not operationalized. The government should not take “final steps toward the Indo-US nuclear deal,” Karat said.

With there being a great need for a full-fledged debate on the issue, the left leaders told the government that it should not proceed further on it.

While addressing a press conference after the meeting with the UPA leaders, Karat asserted that the left was “firmly united” on the Indo-US nuclear deal being “not acceptable.”

“We have gone and met the Congress leadership today to convey the context of the CPI(M) resolution. We have explained to them how we view this agreement and how it is necessary for the government to look into this deal more seriously,” Karat said.

The decision undertaken in the next step, involving an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and negotiation with nuclear agents would be permanent. Therefore, Karat said that they have advised the government not to go ahead with the next step. The CPI(M) has asked the government to “pause and rethink” the agreement, Karat said.

When questioned on the party’s stand on continuing support to the government, Karat replied that he had just talked to the prime minister and UPA chairperson. “It depends on what they decide,” Karat said. “It is for the Congress to look into the serious effect that this deal will have on the country. If the deal goes forward we will go for mass protests.”

Dismissing the suggestion that left parties were looking at the deal through a narrow mind, Karat said: “The nuclear agreement is not to be seen as a narrow party issue. It has to be seen in a wider aspect.”

He emphasized: “I have suggested to the PM and the Congress leadership not to take the next step in the nuclear deal.” The left bloc has fallen short of withdrawing its support from the UPA government. However, it has categorically asserted that the government must duly consider the left’s stand on the issue.

In other words, the government has to choose between going for the deal and support of the left. The CPI-M firmly conveyed to the UPA leaders that any step taken by the government to operationalize the deal would be detrimental to the country’s interest and was likely to have serious implications for the UPA government.

The CPI-M has convened an emergency meeting of its central committee next week to discuss the party’s future stand on the deal.

Commenting on the left’s reaction, the Bharatiya Janata Party said yesterday that it was time for them to “bite” and not “bark” on the deal. BJP leader V.K. Malhotra said: “In their verbal duel with the prime minister, the communists have spoken of serious consequences against operationalizing the deal. It’s high time they took it to its logical conclusion and withdraw support.”

“The Left should bite instead of barking. Empty rhetoric does not work,” he said.