Left replays nuke music

The Indo-US nuclear deal once again dominated discussions in the upper house on Wednesday with the Left reiterating that the deal amounts to surrendering India's strategic interests to the US and calling the President's address "deeply disappointing".

"There is no consensus in the country on the Indo-US nuclear deal. This was clear in the winter session of Parliament. Yet, you (the government) want to go ahead with it," CPI member D Raja said during the discussion on the motion of thanks on the President's address.

Raja said India is succumbing to US pressure "and no self-respecting country can do this".

The Congress, however, blamed the Left for taking credit for the good work done by the UPA government and blaming it for whatever went wrong. "Their job is to take credit for whatever good we do but when something goes wrong, they blame us," party leader PJ Kurien said.

Kurien, who spoke before Raja, said he was "deeply pained" at the Left parties blaming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of surrendering before the US on the nuclear deal.