Claims of China influencing stance on Indo-US nuclear deal baseless: Left parties

The CPI(M) and CPI on Tuesday refuted the claims of Former Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale in his book "The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India" that China influenced the decision of the left parties to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal. The left parties dismissed the claims as 'baseless' and added that it amounted to 'slander'. The Left had withdrawn its support to the Manmohan Singh led UPA government in 2008 over the nuclear deal.

Gokhale, in his book, alleged that China used its close connection with the left parties in the country to build domestic opposition to the nuclear deal. He further added that discussions on the deal were held when top leaders of the CPI or CPI(M) travelled to China for meetings or medical treatment. He also alleged that the Chinese "appeared to operate through the Left parties and the left-leaning media in India", and the attempt to scuttle the nuclear deal was the "first instance for China to operate politically in Indian domestic politics".

"The Left parties had opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal because it was an agreement which would have compromised India's strategic autonomy and independent foreign policy. It was a deal initiated by the United States to get India aboard a military and strategic alliance. It had no real value for India's energy security. More than a decade later, events have confirmed this," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said. There has been no expansion of even a megawatt of civilian nuclear power in the country, he added.

"All that has happened is that India has become a subordinate ally of the United States with close military ties," he said.

"The Left parties took this stand keeping in mind the concern for India's sovereignty and strategic independence. It had nothing to do with China. The Left parties took such a stand even though China eventually supported the exemption given by the Nuclear Suppliers Group to India. The comments in Vijay Gokhale's book of China influencing the Left on this matter are completely baseless. Probably, he does not know that the major opposition party at that time, the BJP, had also opposed the nuclear deal in Parliament," he said.

Prakash Karat, who was general secretary of the party then, reiterated that he shares the party's view expressed by Yechury.

CPI general secretary D Raja negated Gokhale's allegations as "baseless and absurd". He noted that the decision of the Left parties on the nuclear deal was only for national interest and that it is "unfortunate" that a diplomat has made such "petty" comments about Left leaders going to China for treatment.

"While anyone can question us on the decisions we take, but attributing other factors behind such decisions amounts to slander. We genuinely thought that the deal would affect our independent foreign policy and make India an appendage to US's imperialist strategy," he said.

"People go to the US and the UK for treatment too. However, I can say that no one from CPI or, for that matter, from the CPI(M) went to China and discussed the deal," he said.