19 May 2006

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

Gas Pipeline : For Whose Interests?

The UPA government has decided to join the US-sponsored Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan pipeline project.  The Union Cabinet has taken this decision at a juncture when the United States has openly declared its opposition to the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. It is well-known that  the United States wants India to be part of the pipeline project emanating from Turkmenistan.

It is disturbing that the Manmohan Singh government is giving priority to US strategic interests and  sidelining the Iran pipeline project which is more suited for our national interests and energy requirements.   The suspicion that India is acting at the behest of the United States is clear from a recent newspaper report which has quoted the Foreign Secretary as having written to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recommending the Turkmenistan pipeline project saying, “It would also be in tune with the latest US strategic thinking  for the region”.

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that the UPA government give an explanation as to why the US-sponsored pipeline project is being favoured.