Wednesday, January 4 2006 09:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Vowing to oppose any military alliance between India and the US, the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) yesterday (Jan 03, 2006) warned the support of Left parties to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government would end if it continued efforts for becoming a strategic partner of Washington.

"It is unfortunate that like the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the UPA is also trying to become a strategic partner of the US and becoming subservient to it in foreign policy and economic issues. If the UPA does not move away from this path, the support of the Left parties would end," senior CPI(M) leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee said here.

After the last Lok Sabha elections the options were limited, he said, "Either Vajpayee would become Prime Minister or Manmohan. We were urged to join the UPA government at the Centre. We did not do so as we had fundamental differences with the Congress".

"But our support is not unconditional. Left parties would oppose the move to give up the independent foreign policy and economic self-reliance under US pressure," he said.

On the visit of US President George W Bush to India, Bhattacharjee said, "we will not tolerate any military alliance with the US and oppose it tooth and nail".

Branding Bush as a "leader of organised killers in the world," Bhattacharjee said, "Bush is coming to fulfill his political and economic aspirations, we opposed the joint military exercise with the US, as we did during NDA regime".

Bhattacharjee was speaking at the 40th anniversary of CPI(M) daily 'Ganashakti'.