BJP sees a trade-off between Left and Govt

The BJP alleges a "trade-off" between the Govt and CPI(M) on the N-deal because of the trouble in Nandigram, reports HT Correspondent.

The BJP alleged a "trade-off" between the government and CPI(M) on the Indo-US nuclear deal because of the trouble in Nandigram, which "exposed" the Left’s "drama" over its opposition to the deal.

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Senior BJP vice-president Yashwant Sinha said the Central government would go soft on the Nandigram issue and in return the CPI(M) would adopt a soft attitude on the deal with the US.

Reacting to reports that the Left would allow the government to begin talks with the IAEA on the deal, Sinha said "the moment they (the CPI-M) got into political difficulties because of Nandigram they have come forward to compromise with the government on the deal and offered concessions."

He said "the Prime Minister is silent on Nandigram, which the Governor had described as a war-zone. Had it been a non-UPA or non-Left ruling state, the government would have descended heavily on the state."

Sinha said the BJP had all along been suspecting that the Left’s opposition to the deal. “We always thought the opposition to the nuclear deal was not based on principle but on convenience has ultimately come true in the wake of the CPI(M)'s compromise with the government.”

He criticised CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat's claim that Maoists were behind the turmoil in Nandigram and said the Left party was trying to give the "popular movement" there an "entirely uncalled for colour."

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the toning down of the Left’s opposition to the deal was "the height of opportunistic politics."