They opposed privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports and mounted pressure on the Government to expedite the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

They soon started dictating terms on key foreign policy and security related issues as well — from asking the Government not to resume military supplies to Nepal under the monarchy to desist from buying F-16 fighters. They played the role of advisor while being the stumbling block.

The Left also asked the Government not to engage in military ties with Israel.

India’s vote against Iran at the IAEA on Tehran’s nuclear issue was another flashpoint. The Left openly declared that the Manmohan Singh government had surrendered to US pressure. The deepening Indo-US defence ties was always a matter of contention and it finally ended in the severing of UPA-Left ties.

Their pathological dislike for the US began threatening the UPA Government in 2005, barely a year after it assumed office, when they opposed any strategic ties with America.

The India-US Defence Framework agreement was the first irritant.

Then came the big nuclear showdown. After asking the Government to reveal details of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, they graduated to opposing the 123 agreement once the text was released by the Government in August 2007.

The Communists asked the Government not to operationalise the deal, but later allowed conditional negotiations on the safeguards agreement with the IAEA. But the writing was on the wall that the allies will not allow the Government to proceed further and will withdraw support if it went ahead.