By IANS
New Delhi/Chennai : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Monday questioned the government's decision to permit the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz, the world's largest aircraft carrier, to anchor at Chennai port and sought an explanation for this.
"We would like to know what compulsions the government had in taking such a decision. The government should explain it," CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here. The CPI-M leaders are in the national capital to attend a three-day party central committee meeting that began Sunday.
The CPI-M led Left Front supports India's ruling coalition the outside.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony said earlier Monday that the aircraft carrier's visit was a part of the ongoing defence cooperation with friendly foreign countries.
"Ships of various countries visit Indian ports. This (the Nimitz visit) is nothing new," Antony told reporters on the sidelines of a defence accounts function here.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Port Trust has issued a circular to officials "to be prepared to tackle any emergency" during the vessel's visit.
The circular asked the port's chief medical officer to keep ready a nuclear medicine team to handle any contingencies. Medicines will be provided by the Department of Atomic Energy, the circular said.
Nimitz is expected to drop anchor in the harbour's outer anchorage more than three km out at sea.
In a letter to the shipping ministry, Water Transport Federation of India general secretary T. Narendra Rao said: "If any disaster occurs on the ship, the radiation will damage the whole city of Chennai and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh."
Eighteen stories high from its keel to the bottom of its mast, with a flight deck area of 4.5 acres and a crew of 5,680, Nimitz will be the largest US vessel of its class to call at an Indian port.
Commissioned in 1975, the Nimitz can carry close to 90 aircraft and helicopters, including the F-18 Super Hornet that manufacturer Boeing hopes to sell to the Indian Air Force (IAF)
The vessel is named after Admiral Chester W. Nimitz who commanded the Pacific Fleet during World War II.