Seeking to allay fears of those opposed to the deal, Mukherjee said: “Don’t doubt us. It is not that whatever we do has to be looked with suspicion.”

On concerns that nuclear power would be expensive, he said, “It appears too costly today, it won’t be so tomorrow.”

Responding to BJP questions on the Left-UPA mechanism on the deal, he said it was meant to iron out differences. “It does not mean that there shall be a parliamentary committee to look into differences,” he said.

Contending that India had voted against Iran at the IAEA to prevent its nuclear issue from going to the UN Security Council, Mukherjee said the stand-off could not be resolved through “threats” or by “hurting” Tehran’s “national pride.” The Government, he said, was ready to take a sense of Parliament on the deal after completion of the process of implementing the agreement. “We have never said we will not take the sense of the House, let the process (of operationalisation of the agreement) be completed. We have begun the process and it is not complete yet,” he said.

Not satisfied with the over hour-long reply, the Left parties joined the BJP and UNPA in staging a walkout, insisting that the sense of the House be taken. An agitated Mukherjee said “there is no reason, they have no case.”

CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, who initiated the debate, said: “I am not fully convinced. My opposition to the deal continues. The majority in the House does not agree with the deal.” Leader of Opposition Jaswant Singh questioned the “hurry” with which the Government was proceeding to implement the deal.