New Delhi, July 22: CPI(M) today asked the government to implement the parliament resolution seeking, among other things, withdrawal of occupation forces from Iraq instead of considering sending troops at "an application of request" from the United States. "No attempt has been made to honour the unanimous resolutions, moved by the chair and passed by both houses without thinking about these resolutions, the government suddenly started considering sending our troops there," party leader Somnath Chatterjee told reporters here.

"How can government entertain an application of a request and even consider sending 30,000 troops when we have such a resolution passed by parliament," he said adding this showed how "subservient" the Vajpayee government had become to the "imperialist forces".

Stating that the resolution categorically demanded withdrawal of the occupation forces of US and Britain, he reprimanded the government on its "ambivalent attitude towards the presence of US-British forces in Iraq".

Chatterjee was briefing reporters on a meeting of opposition parties on floor coordination in Parliament. The meeting was attended by representatives of Congress, Samajwadi Party, left parties, Kerala Congress, JD(S) and SAD(Mann).


Interestingly, the meeting was attended by National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, whose party has recently snapped ties with the NDA.
Bureau Report