It is a complete surrender to US, says Left

Reactions to the US Congress approving the Indo-US nuclear deal on Thursday drew predictable comments with the BJP and the Left parties saying it would be a "complete surrender" to the US and walking into a "blind trap", while the Congress hailed the development as a historic moment.

The Left parties, which withdrew support to the Manmohan Singh government on the issue, said if the government goes ahead and signs the 123 Agreement it would amount to "betrayal" of India's vital interests.

"If the Congress-led government still goes ahead and signs the 123 agreement, it will be a complete surrender to the US and a betrayal of India's vital interests," CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters.

CPI National Secretary D Raja said the accord is not in the country's interest. "It doesn't make any difference to our position. We Left parties continue to oppose the nuclear agreement," he said.

The BJP felt that India has entered into a "blind trap" and finally acceded to the nuclear non-proliferation regime with the Indo-US nuclear deal.

"The government has gone for a blind trap knowingly and cannot get out of it. The deal has been done at the cost of the country's sovereignty and nuclear independence," BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

"By this deal, India has abrogated its rights in perpetuity. Only history will tell its dangerous influence on our sovereignty," he said.

However, an upbeat Congress said it was a "historic moment" for India which has joined the elite nuclear club without having signed treaties like NPT and CTBT.