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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: right"
align=right><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">January
24, 2015<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Press Statement<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The Polit Bureau of
Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following
statement:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Obama Visit: No Surrender
to US Pressures<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The Obama visit is being
preceded by various moves to appease US interests by the Modi government.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Firstly, the Modi
government is negotiating with the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> authorities
to find ways to circumvent the Civil Nuclear Liability Act passed by the Indian
Parliament.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The right to recourse
for suppliers liability has been objected to by the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The BJP had supported this law in Parliament. Now under
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> pressure, this elementary
safeguard for the people in the case of a nuclear accident is sought to be
diluted.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Polit Bureau demands
that the letter and spirit of the law be respected and no step should be taken
to pass the burden on to the Indian government or other
entities.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The Polit Bureau
reiterates its strong opposition to the renewal of the Defence Framework
Agreement for another ten years.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The Framework Agreement signed in 2005 contained provisions such as <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>the Logistics Support Agreement and the
Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) which
would have made <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> a
military ally of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">US</st1:country-region></st1:place> on par with its NATO allies.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Modi government should desist from
signing the Defence Agreement<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>which
is against the interests of the country and its strategic autonomy.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The <st1:country-region
w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> is pressing <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> to dilute
its patent regime and Intellectual Property Rights regulation.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is meant to facilitate US
multinational drug companies making super profits in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> and will
result in drugs becoming more expensive for the people.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Obama visit should not result in any
concessions to the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> in this regard as also giving any
special treatment to US investments with regard to tax liabilities. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </P>
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style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">eom</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>