Agence France Presse

New Delhi, July 24:

India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh faces grilling when parliament reopens tomorrow over whether he gave away too much in striking a landmark nuclear technology deal during his trip to the United States last week. While some experts say President George Bush’s decision to allow civilian nuclear sales to India will help solve its vast energy needs, there has been mounting domestic criticism the agreement could hurt national security. Opposition Hindu nationalists say the accord reached during Singh’s visit puts a ceiling on India’s nuclear arsenal and New Delhi would lose “flexibility” in deciding its weapons strategy. Former premier Atal Behari Vajpayee said Bush “merely made promises,” but Singh made “long-term and specific commitments” that have security implications for the nation. India’s communist allies have also attacked the agreement, saying it could hamper “the pursuit of an independent nuclear technology policy.” Supporters of the deal say it will end India’s pariah status since it first tested nuclear weapons and refused to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and shifts it closer to international acceptance as a nuclear-armed nation. The opposition has also expressed suspicion that the US is using the bait of help for India’s civilian nuclear programme to get New Delhi to abandon a proposed $4.5-billion pipeline that would bring natural gas from Iran.