CPI general secretary Bardhan in Delhi. (PTI)

New Delhi, July 3: The four Left parties believe the Centre could go to the IAEA in the next seven to 10 days and will meet tomorrow to decide when and in what manner to withdraw support.

“Tomorrow, we will demand from the government (that it) tell us when it is going to the board of governors of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan told reporters after a meeting of the party’s central secretariat.

“The question is not whether they are going (to the IAEA). The fact that they are going is clear, but when — (that) is the question.”

Asked if the Left had received any indication about when the government might approach the IAEA, Bardhan replied: “The government itself is in a hurry. If they are going, they are going within this week... within the next seven, eight or 10 days.”

Bardhan was asked if the Left would wait for the Prime Minister to return from the G8 summit in Japan before pulling the plug. The CPI chief said: “If they tell us they are going on the 5th or 6th (of July), we will withdraw (support) then itself. But in the normal course, we will wait till he (the Prime Minister) comes back.”

He added: “There are no two opinions (about withdrawal of support). The modalities will be decided (tomorrow).… We have to write to the President. All these things will be decided.”

His party said in a statement after the central secretariat meeting that “consistent with its principled stand, the Left will have to decide to withdraw its present support from outside to the UPA government. The CPI proposes this to the other Left parties, who are meeting on July 4, to consider the modalities of this action”.

The RSP and the Forward Bloc too held meetings here today and decided to withdraw support if the Centre went ahead with the deal.

The CPM has already decided it will pull the plug the moment the government approaches the IAEA to finalise the India-specific safeguards agreement.

An editorial in the party mouthpiece, People’s Democracy, today reaffirmed this position. “It is high time that the UPA government scrupulously adhered to the common minimum programme and work for its implementation in right earnest, instead of passionately pursuing issues like the Indo-US nuclear deal which do not figure in the CMP,” it said.