With the West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee gunning for nuclear power, the CPI(M) Politburo member and Left Front Chairman Biman Bose chose to skirt a direct reply on the issue.

He said he would prefer the opinion of experts on the issue.

“What I understand is simple. We have to first arrive at a conclusion on the need for nuclear energy, on the basis of views expressed by the scientific community,” Bose told newsmen at the party headquarters here on Thursday.

When asked whether the chief minister’s decision to choose such a big business forum as the CII to push for nuclear power in the midst of the present stand-off between the UPA government and the Left parties, signalled a contradiction within the Left block, Bose ducked a straight reply.

“I have told you what I have to say in this regard,” he observed. The chief minister stirred a controversy of sorts when he emphatically asserted at the CII national executive council meet, “We cannot just avoid nuclear power; We should move ahead, taking into account the cost of power.”

After this, Bhattacharjee  told newsmen that state Industries Minister Nirupam Sen would shortly leave for the United States to woo investment in West Bengal.

CPM General Secretary  Prakash Karat had refuted the UPA government’s stand that the nuclear deal would fulfil India’s energy requirements.

He stated that nuclear power was meeting only three per cent of India’s energy needs. “Even if the government said India would generate 20,000 MW of nuclear energy by 2020, this would amount to only seven per cent of the total power needs,” Mr Karat pointed out.