Prakash Karat termed the sentencing a 'rigged verdict delivered after a farcical trial' and called on the govt to demand it be revoked.
NEW DELHI: After a brief lull, the Left and the UPA Government are once again involved in a battle of polemics. This time, over the death sentence handed down to former Iraq President Saddam Hussein.
CPI(M) General secretary Prakash Karat termed the sentencing a “rigged verdict delivered after a farcical trial” and called on the government to demand that it be revoked. The government, on its part, chose to stand its ground with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging the Left to appreciate “the changing nature of India’s relationship with the world.” The Congress party came out in support of the government. “The verdict is a result of the judicial process and is subject to a judicial review,” said party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi.
Senior congress leaders told the DNA that the party was not keen on embarking on a course of competitive polemics on matters relating to foreign policy. “We have always treated policy issues above political considerations and will continue to do so,” said Singhvi.
The Left, however, continued to pile on the pressure and plan to raise the issue at the UPA-Left coordination committee meeting on November 13. Both the CPI (M) and CPI have given a call to their state units to protest the death sentence to Saddam. CPI (M) plans to demonstrate against the sentence outside US Information Centre, while its youth and student wings will protest in other states.
The CPI also joined issue with the CPI (M) describing the government’s reaction as mild. “It must now come out with an outright rejection of the tribunal’s verdict and demand that the death sentence be cancelled,” the CPI said.
Asking its state units to organise protests against the sentence, it said the US “occupation army” set up the “so-called” tribunal which awarded the death sentence after a “charade of a trial”. Meanwhile, analysts believe that by taking a strong anti-Bush stand, the CPI(M) is trying to send the right signal to the Muslim constituency, they are desperately trying to woo.
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