November 29, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 18, 1428

NEW DELHI, Nov 28: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was isolated on Wednesday in a parliamentary debate on the controversial nuclear deal with the United States, which rightwing opposition and leftist allies described as a sell out.

Even so the government asserted in the Lok Sabha that India’s right to conduct nuclear tests in future has not been forfeited and said the agreement was a “passport” to similar cooperation with other countries. Dr Singh said the deal does not bar India from carrying out nuclear tests in future.

“If a necessity for carrying out a nuclear test arises in future, there is nothing in the agreement which prevents us from exercising the sovereignty,” he said in a brief intervention during a day-long debate over the most divisive issue the country has faced since he took power in May 2004.

The Leader of the Opposition L K Advani said the deal in its present form was unacceptable to the nation and his party, if voted back to power, would renegotiate the agreement for removal of “adverse” provisions in it. In case, that could not be done, the BJP would reject the deal, he said but made it clear that his party was not opposed to strategic relationship with the United States.

Describing the deal as a “surrender” to Washington, the government’s key ally CPI(M) said it “has a serious bearing” on the country.

“To our dismay we found that under the Hyde Act most of the assurances given by the prime minister were trampled...We are not going to take it lying down,” CPI(M) member Rupchand Pal said.