Monday, November 14 2005 18:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: In a veiled warning to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on its stability over the Iran vote and other issues, Communist Party of India (CPI) Marxist (M), the largest supporting party of the Government, has said India should abstain from voting in the upcoming International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting remain neutral.

"UPA government is deviating from the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) on key foreign policy decisions and we strongly object to this," senior CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said.

"The danger of instability for the UPA Government would be there if it violates the CMP our point is that the Government would last five years, if it adheres to the CMP. We find that the CMP is not being followed in the foreign policy as was done in the economic policies earlier.

"We want the government to follow the CMP. The stability of UPA Government depends on its rectification of mistakes in these policies. If it does not do so, we may have to think afresh," he told a BBC Hindi programme yesterday (Nov 13, 2005) night.

He was asked whether Iran nuclear issue and foreign policy would be the major areas of confrontation between UPA Government and the supporting Left parties.

"It may become a major confrontational issue. We would like to tell the government very clearly that India should at least abstain and not vote against Iran, if the issue comes up at IAEA in Vienna on November 24, and India should strongly place its view that this entire issue should be solved within the IAEA and should not be taken to the UN."

Asked to what extent the Left parties' opposition would go on Iran issue, the CPI-M Politbureau member said, "That would depend on what stand the UPA Government takes on November 24. We are clearly telling Manmohan Singh Government that it should not repeat its past mistake."

"At this moment we are doing all that is possible to put pressure on the government, and it is not Left pressure alone, there is pressure from the international community as well," Yechury said.

"There is a strong impression in the country that the Government is dithering from the CMP. Our pressure is to bring the Government back on track. Now the important question is what if the Government does not return to an independent foreign policy. In this case, our decision would be known in the coming days," he said.

Asked why the Left pressure has not been effective if they thought the UPA was pursuing a pro-US line, Yechury said, "Whether the Left pressure has been successful or unsuccessful would be known during the next 10-12 days time, when we would come to know about the government decision on Iran."

"Our pressure on the government would be continuous for the implementation of the CMP, which very clearly states that UPA Government would pursue an independent foreign policy and not be a stooge of any country."

Asked about Left parties' stand on Volcker report and their support for former external affairs minister Natwar Singh, the CPI-M leader said, "We are not trying to save anyone on the Volcker issue. We want to make it very clear.

"What we are saying has been said by Volcker himself, that he prepared the report on the basis of what he got from Iraq. He has himself said that neither did he go to Iraq nor did he verify any documents. He has also said he did not feel the need to do so.

"If India wants it can conduct its own probe. This is precisely what we have been saying since day one, that the entire matter should be probed and then only can something be said," Yechury said.