Left to stage state wide protest against N-deal

BANGALORE: The Left parties, including the Forward Bloc, would stage a state-wide protest in Karnataka on Tuesday to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal and the naval exercise being conducted with the participation of the US.

Addressing here on Monday, G N Nagaraj, CPI(M) state secretary said that the parties would also organise a series of conventions, seminars and meetings from September 7 to 9 to discuss threadbare the issue relating to various aspects of the deal and the 'vested interest' of the US (in the deal).

"The nuclear agreement is not entirely restricted to the energy issue, but involves the entire gamut and interest of India, he said. The strategic cooperation sought by the US through the deal includes logsitics support in the form of use of airports and ports, Maritime Trade Security and the issue of interoperability," Nagaraj said.

The strategic cooperation aimed at 'binding India to yoke' by ensuring that the US government had some control in various sectors like retailing, education, agriculture and also in the country's defence policy, he alleged.

Opposing the joint naval exercise with countries like US, Japan, Australia and Singapore to be held from September 4 to 9, he said two of the warships, Nimitz and Kit-Hawk, which had bombarded Iraq in 2003 were to take part in the naval exercise.