Claims of China influencing Left parties' decision on Indo-US nuclear deal are false, says Yechury

New Delhi [India], August 3 (ANI): CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday said that claims in former Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale's book about China using its "close connections" with the Left parties to build opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal were "completely false" and they had opposed the deal to safeguard the interests of the country.

Talking to media persons here, he said the stance of Left parties on the nuclear deal during the first UPA government had "no connection with China".

"We even did not have any discussion with China. There was not even any need to talk to China. If China was opposing the deal, then why it allowed India a waiver in the Nuclear Supplier Group. In the Nuclear Supplier Group, every decision is taken unanimously. It means China had no objections to the nuclear deal," Yechury told reporters here.

He said there were claims that the deal will boost India's power production but promises have not been fulfilled.

"So it is clear that nuclear power was a gimmick to draw India as military and strategic ally of the US. Today, India has become a junior subordinate partner of the US in military and strategic affairs. Our isolation in Afghanistan is testimony to that. Our foreign policy is now integrated with their foreign policy," he said.

Yechury claimed the world sees India as a "puppet of America".

"To safeguard the country from this scenario we had opposed the Indo-US nuclear deal," he said.

Yechury also said that BJP too had opposed the nuclear deal.

"Gokhale sahib has forgotten everything. At that time, BJP, which was in the opposition then, had supported our stand. They (BJP) also voted against the deal in Parliament. Did they do that at China's behest? I do not know what is the agenda behind this? I do not know what the hidden agenda behind the book is. The allegations are completely false," he said.

CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah said bourgeois ruling parties in the country work as agents of the US and Israel.

"Left never had foreign influence. We have an independent understanding. Left did not do anything anti-national," he told ANI.

CPI leader Binoy Viswam said the Left parties are "more patriotic than right-wing politicians".

"Such irresponsible and nonsensical comments need no reply," he said.

According to media reports, the book, 'The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India', written by Gokhale, says that China used its "close connections" with Left parties domestic "to build" opposition to the nuclear deal. (ANI)