CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat has maintained that there was still three-four months’ time and suggested that the nuclear deal and early elections were two separate subjects with no political linkages.

Addressing a press conference, the CPM leader said a date for the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting would be firmed up on Monday. The meeting is expected to be scheduled later this week. The Left leader said he had written to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and he had been told that the meeting would be called “soon”.

He said the Left was in “no hurry” to know about what transpired at the IAEA meeting in Vienna on the India-specific safeguards agreement.

“We are not in a hurry. We will see what they (government) say in the committee... I cannot presume what is there in the text (of the draft safeguards agreement) as I am not party to the negotiations,” Mr Karat said.

Foodgrain allocation

Meanwhile, the Central committee meet of the CPM on Sunday asked the government to restore the 139-lakh tonne cut in foodgrain allocation to the states under the Public Distribution System (PDS), reverse the price rise in petrol and diesel by cutting customs and excise duties, ban on futures trading in agricultural commodities as proposed by the standing committee of Parliament.

It demanded the government to introduce women’s reservation bill in this session of Parliament itself and fulfil the commitments made in the common minimum programme.

The committee also demanded action “under law” against Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray and MNS President Raj Thackeray  for making “divisive” comments against North Indian migrants.