Tuesday, November 15 2005 16:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Thiruvananthapuram: India should make clear its stand on Iran's nuclear programme before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meets in Geneva on November 24, Communist Party of India (CPI) Marxist (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said today (Nov 15, 2005).

"India voted against Iran on September 24 for no reason except that the US pressurized us. If the Indian Government takes a stand against Iran at the next IAEA meeting, the Left will raise the matter in Parliament," he said, addressing a meet-the-press programme here.

The Left parties, Janata Dal (JD) Secular (S) and Samajwadi Party had collectively decided to raise the issue in Parliament.

"We will decide later in what form the matter is to be raised. But I still hope that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government will see reason," he said.

Karat, here to campaign for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha by-poll, said the UPA government was a 'necessary experiment. The experiment was not a failure and the coalition could arrive at an understanding on many schemes like the rural employment guarantee scheme.

Karat said the Left parties was not opposed to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as such but would not allow foreign investment in the retail sector which would 'kill thousands of jobs.'

The four crore people employed in the retail sector would be rendered jobless if FDI was allowed in the sector, he said.