Calling for political solidarity against the government over the Indo-US nuclear deal, the BJP on Saturday asked the Left to choose between power and national interest and withdraw support to the UPA government.
Party chief Rajnath Singh said the UPA's communist supporters, who had been warning the government of serious consequences over the controversial nuclear agreement, must now match their words with action. Ideological differences could not be bigger than the nation, he emphasised. "Over the last three years, the Left parties have clearly shown they are only willing to engage in verbal duels with the government without displaying the resolve to strike," Singh said in a statement.
"If the nuclear deal is against the nation, will the Left parties now allow this government to continue?" he asked, adding that they should decide now whether they wanted to remain in the "trap" of power.
Accusing the Left of airing empty rhetoric, senior BJP leader VK Malhotra asked them to withdraw support to the government saying it was time for them to "bite" instead of merely "barking" on the issue.
The RSS, too, has challenged the Left to pull the rug from under the government on the issue. "If the Left is serious about opposing the nuclear deal in particular and the US hegemony in general, it has no other option but to withdraw support to the UPA government," stated an editorial in the RSS mouthpiece
{{/usCountry}}The RSS, too, has challenged the Left to pull the rug from under the government on the issue. "If the Left is serious about opposing the nuclear deal in particular and the US hegemony in general, it has no other option but to withdraw support to the UPA government," stated an editorial in the RSS mouthpiece
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According to it, there was no way the prime minister could "pretend" that the deal was in India's interest. His hard talk and the agreement had given the Left a rare opportunity to introspect. "No longer can the comrades continue to enjoy power without accountability the way they have been doing all these years. If the deal is through, they will have to own up responsibility for allowing it and torpedoing the united opposition of the majority of Indians both inside and outside Parliament," the editorial said.