IndianExpress.com :: Ask Congress if it wants to run this govt, says Karat

IndianExpress.com :: Ask Congress if it wants to run this govt, says Karat

WOW!!! I am not sure what Mr. Karat is trying to say here. I have been following this 123 Nuclear Pact thing since 2005. Let me try to simplyfy the mess which Congress has created for itself.

Firstly, Dr. Manmohan Singh has completely failed in building consensus on this issue. The very first step should have been to draft a rough agreement keeping in mind what Atalji & Mr. Karat were saying about this pact. Expectations of Indians should have been the beginning point for negotiation with the United States. There is nothing wrong if India could not agree with the US in the end. It is not necessary to have a strategic agreement when majority in Parliament does not agree to it. Dr. Manmohan Singh has acted irresponsibly counting on the Constitutional lacuna that the pact does not require approval by the Parliament.

Secondly, the rush to finalize the pact might have been the reason that it is not acceptable to the majority in the Parliament. Democracy means consultation with the stakeholders. People of India will not forgive the politicians if they pledge next 40 years of India's future without proper consultation and deliberations in the Parliament.

Thirdly, Congress got it completely wrong. UPA Chairperson and the Prime Minister are living under the assumption that the Left Front will continue to support the Congress government to keep BJP away from power. Folks, you are getting it completely wrong. The issue that we are discussing here is not BJP. In fact, we are discussing the sovereignty and independence of India. No wonder that the Left Front is upset with Congress pushing the 123 Nuclear Pact. On a lower lever national politics may be driven on political goals but if you look at the bigger picture responsible political leaders have to act to protect the interests of the country not their political agenda.

The Congress has tied this issue to continuance of the UPA coalition. However, the fact of the matter is that rejection of 123 Nuclear Pact by the Indian Parliament does not necessarily mean fall of UPA government.

I may be wrong but don't you think that a no-confidence motion is required to say bye! bye! to Dr. Manmohan Singh's bad governance? I think that there is nothing wrong with the Left Front's opposition to a no-confidence motion. After all, they have to share the burden of "bad" acts of the UPA government in 2009. I do not believe that the Left Front wants to leave the UPA coalition and wash its hands off the bad deeds of the UPA government.

Next week is most likely going to bring some interesting developments on the Indian political scene. I am sure it is not going to be a political drama but the serious debate will be on the merits of the pact. The sense I get is that majority of the Parliament is serious about this issue, hence, no political stunts are likely to follow.

Here is my question of the day - Is (some politicians') hatred towards BJP more important than the sovereignty of the country?

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Ask Congress if it wants to run this govt, says Karat

Rajeev P I

Posted online: Monday, August 13, 2007 at 0000 hrs IST (Indian Express)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM , AUGUST 12

A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dared the Left to withdraw support to the government over the Indo-US nuclear deal, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat hit back, saying the Congress should be asked “if it wants to run this government”.
Addressing the media here, Karat fended off queries on whether the Left had thought of going beyond sabre-rattling by considering withdrawal of support to the UPA government as an option. “This government is run on our support. But why do you keep asking us if we would withdraw support? Why don’t you ask the Congress if it wants to run this government?”.

Karat refused to discuss the possible course the Left would take in Parliament. “What we are going to do in Parliament will be decided soon,” he said, when he was asked if the Left would end up voting jointly with the BJP against the government on the issue.
“We are aware that the Prime Minister is very sensitive about his government’s relations with the US, but this is a matter of serious national import,” Karat said, reiterating that the Left would never want the government proceed with the 123 Agreement’s operationalisation.
The UPA should consider the fact that it is running the government with the support of the Left, Karat said, adding the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the ruling alliance did not say a word about the strategic alliance with the US.

“It is the responsibility of the Congress to see that the government does not take any policy which contradicts with the CMP,” he said.
Any discussion or debate in Parliament would show that the government did not have a majority in support of the nuclear deal and the government should heed that message of Parliament, he said.


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