NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat Sunday called for cancellation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, which is just single step away from realisation, when the new government comes to power at the centre after the general elections next year.

The deal, which is awaiting U.S. Congress approval for its realisation, would be cancelled in case a CPI-M-led Left front-supported government comes to power at the centre, Karat indicated after the party's two day politburo meeting here. The next government should cancel the deal by giving six months notice - a provision in the 123 agreement to cancel the deal for either party, Karat said.

He said the waiver by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for India represented another surrender by the Manmohan Singh government in its journey to operationalising the agreement.

"The NSG waiver is neither clean nor unconditional. As in the case of the 123 agreement and the IAEA safeguard agreements, the waiver by NSG organised by the US will bind India to all the conditions set down by the Hyde Act," the CPI-M leader said in a statement. All these steps had gone against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurance to Parliament made in Aug 2006,Karat said.

"We will fight against the deal in the country, not in Vienna or the US," he added. When asked what would happen if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance gains power at the centre, Karat said they have already stated that they are not against the deal but they would re-negotiate it.

The CPI-M would rally "all the democratic and patriotic forces" to fight the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's strategic alliance with the U.S., said the CPI-M general secretary. 

Source : IANS