Asking Singh to give the issue his “serious consideration”, Bardhan took exception to US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher’s statement that the nature of the government, minority or caretaker, will not affect the prospects of the nuclear deal. He alleged that US officials are mounting pressure on the Government to hurry up and sign the nuclear deal and accused the the Government of “buckling under the pressure”.

“We are shocked that such presumptuous statements go unchallenged,” Bardhan wrote, adding that the deal is against “our national interests, our sovereignty and independent foreign policy.”

Bardhan, in the letter, added that it’s not just the nuclear deal but “there are many violations of the common minimum programme which are causing disquiet”. He accused the government of taking the decisions taken at the UPA-Left meeting lightly and added that “public opinion is bewildered at all this.”