Escalating the confrontation between the Government and the Left over the nuclear deal, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan has, for the first time, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made it clear that his party “will be left with no other option than to withdraw our support to the Government” if the deal is pursued any further.

“Should the Government decide to push ahead with the (nuclear) deal, we will not and cannot be a party to go along with it. We will then be left with no option than to withdraw our support to the government,” he wrote in a letter faxed to the PM today as Bardhan was traveling in UP and Bihar.

This is for the first time that any constituent from the Left has come up with such a blunt ultimatum to the Government on the nuclear issue.

It comes a day after CPM mouthpiece People’s Democracy carried a clear warning that the Government would be “mistaken” if it thinks that after getting the IAEA draft, it can go ahead with operationalisation of the deal.

Bardhan also criticised the PM for trying to reach out to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his support. “Your own speech Mr Prime Minister appealing to Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whom you have chosen to address the Bhishma Pitamaha of Indian politics, to rise above narrow party interests is an open effort at canvassing BJP ‘s support for the deal.”

Underlining that his party is “greatly disturbed” by some recent statements on the nuclear deal, Bardhan criticised Singh’s effort at building consensus. “Your talk of trying to build a consensus sounds hollow when you are fully aware that no such consensus is possible — a fact revealed in the parliamentary debate itself.”

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