The government stood its ground on the Indo-US nuclear deal today even as Left allies joined hands with the UNPA to oppose it in Rajya Sabha. But the debate turned out to be more of a Congress versus BJP slugfest with the Left, the most vocal critic of the deal, pushed to the sidelines and the BJP making clear it was all for renegotiating the deal.

While all parties stuck to their public statements on the deal, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh aligned his position close to the Left’s after his party had gone soft in its opposition during the discussion in Lok Sabha last week.

While the government defended the deal on the grounds that it was necessary to meet India’s growing energy requirements and was the “best possible deal,” the BJP, Left and UNPA accused the government of “surrendering to the US” and “ignoring the opposition of the majority.”

Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie led the BJP offensive, arguing that the UPA government was “misleading” the nation on all key issues, including the right to reprocess fuel, energy security and ending the country’s nuclear apartheid.

“I declare that if we come to power, which we will, we will re-negotiate the deal,” Sinha said. “All the scientists whom I have spoken to have told me that the nuclear isolation has proved to be a boon for India,” he said, asking the government to stop this “cry over ending apartheid.”

Intervening, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dismissed as “false” Sinha’s charge that India came under US pressure and did not sign agreements with Russia on the Koodankulam reactors. Singh said the agreement could not be concluded because the government was yet to work out issues with the IAEA and Nuclear Suppliers Group.

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