CPI(M) welcomes PM's remarks to Bush

The CPI(M) on Tuesday welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's conveying to US President George W Bush "certain difficulties" in implementing the civil nuclear deal and said the agenda of Left parties was not to topple the UPA government but to firmly oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said going by what had transpired between Singh and Bush, there seems to be a "softening of stand on implementaton of the deal by the government".

"The Prime Minister's office has said that Singh has apprised Bush of the 'certain difficulties' in operationalising the deal' which is a "welcome sign", he told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organised by a local news weekly in Guwahati.

The CPI (M) leader said it will be a welcome sign if the government gives a "rethink" on implementation of the deal.

"If the government's stance is changed then we shall discuss it in our next meeting on October 22", Yechury said.

Yechury said the agenda of Left parties was to firmly oppose the nuclear deal which was "harmful" for the country.

"Our agenda is not to either topple the government or protect it...We will oppose the deal", he said.

The CPI (M) leader said whenever any government had sided with the US, it had to fall and urged the Centre to change its stance.

Yechury pointed out that expenditure due to implementation of the deal would be too high for the government to bear.