NEW DELHI: Releasing his party's manifesto for Lok Sabha polls, Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), yesterday strongly criticized the Congress-led UPA government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for reneging on their promises.
Accusing the UPA government of the “biggest betrayal” by forging a strategic alliance with the US, Karat said it would “review and rework” the India-US nuclear deal.
Karat, a key player in an emerging Third Front of non-Congress and non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parties, also promised an independent foreign policy if it comes to power.
“The biggest betrayal by the Manmohan Singh government was to forge a strategic alliance with the US and to renege on the commitment to pursue an independent foreign policy,” Karat said.
Fiercely opposing strategic and military collaboration with the US, Karat accused the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government of following “the US-Israel axis.”
If a Third Front government came to power, it would scrap the defense framework deal with the US. “Firstly, the defense framework agreement with the US will be scrapped. There will not be military collaboration with the US.” Karat said that a Third Front government would “review and rework” the India-US civil nuclear deal signed by the Manmohan Singh government.
All the partners (Third Front) who met here on Sunday are committed against the nuclear deal, the CPI-M leader said.
“This government claimed shortage of uranium as the prime reason for the nuclear deal. But the Comptroller and Auditor General report proves that the country has enough uranium reserves.”
The Left parties withdrew support to the UPA last year over differences on the India-US nuclear deal. Karat warned that the people would have to shell out more to buy electricity from nuclear power plants that the government was planning to import from the US. “This is a cruel joke when the cost of electricity from an imported nuclear plant will be Rs.8 per unit — far out of the reach of the common people,” said the party's manifesto. “The Congress-led government signed the nuclear deal with the US with conditions no self-respecting government should accept,” the manifesto added.
Seeking to differentiate itself from the Congress-led UPA, the CPI-M manifesto unveiled the vision of “an independent and non-aligned foreign policy, which defends India from imperialist pressures” and promotes multipolarity in international relation.
Scathingly critical of the US-sponsored war on terror and Washington's military interventions in other countries, the party said it would strengthen multilateral forums like the UN to deal with all disputes between countries and push for democratization of the UN Security Council.
— With input from agencies
