By IANS,
New Delhi : Accusing the government of going back on its word, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Prakash Karat Tuesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s trip to Japan to attend the G8 summit would be tantamount to going ahead with the India-US civil nuclear deal.
In an interview with Malayalam TV channel Asianet, Karat said: “We have been told that the prime minister was stubborn that he would not go to G8 summit unless he was allowed to go to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).”
“We will consider the prime minister going to G8 as an indication that they have decided to go ahead with the nuclear deal,” he said.
The prime minister is scheduled to leave for Japan either July 6 or 7, official sources said. India has been invited as an outreach partner for the summit of the world’s top eight industrial nations along with China, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico.
This is the third time India has been a special invitee to the G8 forum, being held this year at Hokkaido-Toyako.
The Communist leader, who has been opposing the government’s move to finalise the India-specific safeguards agreement with the IAEA, reiterated that his party would not “compromise” on its decision to oppose the nuclear agreement.
Karat also indicated that he would rather go for elections than compromise on his stance.
“If matter has to go to the people, let the people decide.”
The CPI-M general secretary also said the Congress and its government have “violated” the “word” they have given to the Communists that they would not go ahead with the deal without the Left’s consent.
Karat, whose CPI-M along with three other Left parties extend crucial support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government from outside, also warned the ruling party.
“It is for the future to see whether the Congress is able to lead a coalition government,” he told the channel.