Kolkata: CPI General Secretary, A B Bardhan stated that the left parties will carry on opposing the Indo-US nuclear contract even within the Centre-appointed group that will check into the conditional relations of the Hyde Act.

While addressing a crowd of Left leaders and workers, setting out in a ‘Jatha’ for Vizag as a protest mark against the Indo-US combined naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal, Mr. Bardhan said, “The Government will set up a committee, but we shall oppose the deal there also. However, we are ready for any talks at the same time.”

Jyoti Basu, Veteran Marxist leader flagged off the ‘Jatha’ at Park Circus in South Kolkata.

Chaired by Mr. Bardhan, the ‘Jatha’ consists of 85 associates from all the partners of the ruling Left Front.

Madan Ghosh, CPI (M) Central Committee member and Bir Singh Mahato, Forward Bloc MP were other political leaders participating in the journey.

In his lecture, Mr. Basu averred that the N-deal with the United States was offensive of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) struck between the Congress-led UPA and the Left parties as the basis of discernment between the both sides.

The ‘Jatha’ members will reach Vizag on September 8 through Kharagpur in West Bengal, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in Orissa and Vizianagram in Andhra Pradesh.

The other 'Jatha' taken out by Left workers from Chennai, will join them at Vizag the same day.