Left withdrawal of support to govt was a "mistake": Somnath

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Speaker of Lok Sabha, (lower
House of Indian Parliament) Somnath Chatterjee has described
as a "mistake" the withdrawal of the support by the Left
parties to the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
Government in July last year over the Indo-US nuclear deal and
disclosed that he had cautioned against taking such a step.

Asked if withdrawal of support was a mistake like the
decision not to join the government in 1996, Chatterjee told
a TV channel, "Yes, very much so. I had sent a note to them
(CPI-M).

"I told them don't give up your stand against the
nuclear deal, oppose it. Say that the party will not be bound,
warn the government, warn the people of the serious
consequences that may be there," he said.

Chatterjee, who was expelled from the Communist Party of
India-Marxist (CPI-M) after refusing to vote against the
confidence motion last year, said he cautioned them against
the move and told them, "Don't withdraw because you are only
encouraging certain forces in the country which we have all
been fighting against," a clear reference to BJP and its
allies. PTI SC
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