By IANS
New Delhi : Attacking its ally, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) for what it called a shift in ideology, the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) Friday warned the Marxists not to hesitate in withdrawing support to the government over the Indo-US nuclear deal, if necessary.
The RSP, a smaller ally of the CPI-M in the Left front, insisted that it still has strong objection to the provisions of the nuclear deal and the Hyde act.
In a message read out at the ongoing 18th national conference that began here Friday, party general secretary K. Pankajakshan said: “If we are not fully satisfied that India is free to pursue its nuclear option without hindrance, the Left should not agree for government proceeding the nuclear deal.”
Pankajakshan was not present in the meeting due to his ill health.
The RSP, one of the four Left parties, has vehemently been opposing the nuclear deal saying it will affect India’s independent foreign policy. Pankajakshan pointed out that it was the RSP that had first suggested that the Left should not hesitate to withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance government on this issue.
According to him, the danger was “far from over” as New Delhi is going ahead with negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
The Left, which had opposed the operationalisation of the 123 agreement with the US, later allowed the UPA government to go ahead with IAEA talks on India specific safeguards. But the communists said the deal should not be taken further without their nod.
The RSP, which along with another Left ally Forward Bloc has soured its relations with the CPI-M over various issues, also criticised the leading communist party’s leadership for “somersaulting” on the issue of socialism.
Although the first draft report issued to the media had severely criticised CPI-M leaders for their comments on socialism, it later toned down its comments saying that the CPI-M had given a clarification on the issue.
The draft report also said the RSP wanted to review Left support to the UPA government and the CPI-M was “not agreeing to our proposal”. The Left ally also urged the CPI-M to make efforts to form a “Left alternative” to counter the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and only if it’s not possible a left democratic alternative could be attempted.
The party has criticised the CPI-M’s attitude towards Maoist rebels and said instead of suppressing them it should make efforts to convert them.
The party’s three-day national conference ends Sunday.