Central government surrendered to US pressure: CPI

CPI today lashed out at the Centre for giving "in principle" nod to a logistics exchange agreement with the US, accusing it of "surrendering" to pressure from Washington and insisted on strategic pacts to be discussed in Parliament first.
The CPI also asked the central government not to become US' "strategic" partner in the latter's plan to play the role of a "world police" by signing the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), which will enable both the countries to use each other's assets and bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.
"While people of Japan, Philippines, Cuba are fighting to remove American bases from their soil, the government is providing such a facility to USA, though in the name of 'maintenance facility', is very dangerous.

"India should not become a 'strategic partner' of the US in its international military plan to play the role of 'world police'. Undoubtedly, it is a surrender of Modi government to US pressure," the party alleged.
The CPI also raised objections to Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), which it claimed, are being planned to be signed with the US.
Terming the pacts as "dangerous", CPI claimed it will lead to opening of Indian Armed Forces command and its control structure to US Armed Forces and asked the NDA government not to sign these proposed agreements.

"There is a need to discuss such strategic agreements to take people into confidence. It needs to be discussed in Parliament. There should be no compromise on question of national sovereignty. CPI appeals to all patriotic, democratic people to oppose these decisions of the Centre," CPI said in a statement.
India and the US on Tuesday agreed "in principle" to the logistics exchange agreement.
Parrikar and US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter made it clear that the agreement, which will be signed in "weeks" or "coming months", does not entail deployment of American troops on Indian soil.