Left serves notice on nuclear deal

New Delhi: After the so-called Muslim appeasement controversy, a nuclear bomb is ticking away on the face of the UPA Government.

The Left allies of the UPA have put the Manmohan Government on notice over the US legislation on the Indo-US nuclear deal, saying it is 'not acceptable' to them as as it would "seriously undermine India's independent foreign policy".

"US legislation on nuclear deal is not acceptable. The US laws violate the PM's assurances given in Parliament. The US has shifted the goal on fuel supply and fuel reserve. We demand that further negotiations with US must not proceed," CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat said on Monday.

"Nothing short of the assurances made by the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) on August 17 can be acceptable," he said.

The party has demanded a 'full-fledged' debate in Parliament. "We have put notices before both Houses of Parliament for a discussion on the nuclear deal," CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechuri told CNN-IBN on Monday. "The nuclear bill passed by the US Congress will set the parameters for agreement between India and US on the nuclear deal. Therefore, a discussion is imperative and neccessary," he said.

The Left's stand on the issue indicates a tough time ahead for the government as the Opposition BJP has already rejected the US legislation, calling it 'humiliating'. The party says the US Act on Indo-US nuclear deal passed "seriously compromises India's foreign policy besides debilitating its nuclear weapons capability."

The party has urged the Government to reject the Act instead of accepting the conditionalities 'sought to be imposed on the country'.

Senior BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and former Union Minister Arun Shourie told journalists on Sunday that the US Act was aimed at capping and rolling back and eliminating India's nuclear weapons capability including sub-critical tests and those for peaceful purposes.

"This will stymie India's technical advancement in vital spheres and an agreement under this legislation will bind India's future in perpetuity with no exit clause," the two leaders said. The BJP has demanded that the PM should make a statement in Parliament on the US Act without any further delay rejecting the Indo-US Nuclear deal.