Karat blasts UPA govt over IAEA draft text

NEW DELHI:

Reacting to the unveiling of the IAEA safeguards draft text, CPM leader Prakash Karat has lashed out at the UPA government saying it has lost credibility over the issue.

Speaking to journalists here, Karat said it is strange the government, that was till Wednesday convinced that the text of the draft was confidential, had now put it up on the Ministry of External Affairs website. He wondered what had happened between Wednesday and now that warranted such a turnaround.

On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had categorically said that Parliament would be taken into confidence before making such a move.

"The government's decision to go ahead with the nuclear deal is nothing but shocking betrayal of commitment to the country and the people," said Karat.

Saying that he had great respect for Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar, Karat expressed surprise that even though Kakodkar had said on wednesday that the draft was not yet final, how could the government go ahead with it so fast.

He ridiculed the government by saying that even before the MEA site put up the text, some website in the US had put it up. "It is a shame," he said.

Karat said the Left would do everything politically possible to stop the deal from going through.

Thanks: TOI