The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, on Wednesday, challenged the Left to seek a 'sense of Parliament' on the India-US nuclear deal during Thursday's discussion on the pact, which it regards as a compromise with national interests.
The BJP has cited concerns raised by top scientists over the US legislation aimed at enabling nuclear energy supply to India as part of the deal.
BJP Parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the Opposition would insist on the ruling United Progressive Alliance's communist supporters to make their position clear in the House on the nuclear pact.
"We will press them to ask for a sense-of-House resolution to make their position clear that they too oppose the deal," he said.
Last week, an NDA delegation led by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee called on President A P J Abdul Kalam to request his intervention over the Opposition's demands for a 'sense of House' resolution on the nuclear agreement.
The prime minister is slated to make a statement in Parliament on Thursday on the nuclear deal with the United States.
Meanwhile, the Left parties reminded Dr Singh on Wednesday that he should address their 'views and concerns' while outlining the country's stand on the sensitive issue.
Major Left party Communist Party of India (Marxist), which had been demanding that the sense of the House should be conveyed to Washington on the matter, hoped that Dr Singh's statement in Parliament would be in line with the 'alternative proposal' put forward by them last month.
Talking to reporters in Kolkata, senior Politburo leader and party member Sitaram Yechury said they were expecting the prime minister to follow the alternative proposals.
He also demanded a discussion on the sensitive deal involving all political parties.
The Left, which provides key outside support to the Congress-led government, had been critical about the UPA government's foreign policy, describing it as 'pro-US' and had made it clear that it will continue to remain 'an issue of contention'.
Commenting on the issue, Communist Party of India national secretary D Raja said, "When the prime minister makes a suo motu statement or when he responds to discussion, he must try to accomodate the views and concerns of the Left and other concerned parties."
The Left parties have sought an assurance from the UPA government that there will be no compromise on the strategic programme and that India will not accept any fresh conditionalities for implementing the pact.
The CPI(M) has come out with a detailed note on 'explicit departures' by the US Senate and Congress in their recent draft laws from the July 18, 2005 agreement between Singh and President George Bush on the nuclear deal.
The issues raised by the Left include that India should have 'full' access to civilian nuclear technology and that Washington should lift all sanctions imposed on the supply of dual-use technology to India.
Accusing the US of shifting goal-posts since the July 2005 agreement, the CPI(M) has highlighted its opposition to the requirement of an annual certification by the US president as a condition for unhindered supply of nuclear materials and technology to India.
The Left party has also sought an assurance that in line with the July 2005 accord, Washington would ensure continuity of nuclear supplies to India from the member nations of the Nuclear Suppliers Group or N-5.
It also wanted the government to stick to its stand on reciprocity, implying that steps taken by India would be conditional upon and contingent on action taken by the US.
Before India places its civilian nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, New Delhi should ensure that all restrictions on it have been lifted.
The Left parties have also sought an assurance that the government would work for the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty as part of its stand on universal nuclear disarmament.
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