Thursday, October 6 2005 20:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: The Left parties which have attacked the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government for its vote against Iran will meet in Delhi on October 10 to form a committee roping in like-minded parties for launching a countrywide campaign for an independent foreign policy, a left leader said today (Oct 6, 2005).

"Besides the four left parties, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI), Republican Socialist Party (RSP) and Forward Bloc, leaders of Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Janata Dal (Secular) are expected to attend the meeting," the All India Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas told PTI.

He said SP, RJD, NCP, DMK and Janata Dal(s) have already been approached to attend the meeting to constitute a committee for a countrywide campaign for an independent foreign policy.

He said India's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) vote against Tehran was a 'serious departure' from an 'independent policy' and campaign would be launched to pressure the Government to pursue a non-aligned foreign policy.