Thursday, August 10 2006 10:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Left parties yesterday (Aug 9, 2006) warned the UPA Government of an imminent confrontation if it failed to address their concerns on the Indo-US nuclear deal, toughening their stand on the sensitive issue.

"We don't want any more suo motu statements from the Prime Minister on the nuclear deal. We want a discussion on the issue in Parliament after which the government can come out with a statement which says we are not ready to go beyond what we have said in the initial deal," CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said at a meeting on the occasion of the Nagasaki atom bomb explosion anniversary here.

"Let them make it a declaration of the House which expresses the sense of the House. Or let the Prime Minister make a statement which could be endorsed by the Parliament," he said.

If the government continues with its reluctance to discuss the details of the deal the Left parties will have to decide on our future plans, Yechury said, "The next week of the Parliament session will be crucial for the Government regarding the deal."

Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Iyer said the issue of global disarmament should be the 'core concern' of the Government and raised at all international fora.

CPI leader D Raja did not mince his words and warned that the "Government have to be ready to face serious consequences if it is not willing to discuss the deal on the floor of Parliament and express the opinion of the House."

He said there will be serious confrontation between Government and Left parties if the government fails to address their concerns.