Contending that the events of last six months had made it clear that the Indo-US nuclear deal was "prejudicial to national interests", senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking a debate in Parliament on the issue.
The former Science and Technology Minister has said that deal puts "onerous restrictions" on India without any countervailing restrictions or restraints on the other high contracting party.
"We are highly concerned that the agreement is designed to emasculate Indian nuclear options -- both in the military and civil sectors -- and make India perpetually dependent on the US for all initiatives in application of nuclear energy," he said in the letter released to the press in New Delhi on Saturday.
The BJP leader argued that the demand for separation of civilian and military reactors has "serious ulterior motives and is premised on total distrust of India as a responsible nuclear power.
"This is also a firm message to India that it cannot hope to get the US to accept India as a full-fledged nuclear power."
Joshi later told reporters that the Prime Minister had told Parliament that the deal was being negotiated on the basis of "reciprocity" but the recent developments had demonstrated that the deal was not being negotiated on the basis of equality and that "somehow India was being forced to compromise on its rights and stature".
{{/usCountry}}Joshi later told reporters that the Prime Minister had told Parliament that the deal was being negotiated on the basis of "reciprocity" but the recent developments had demonstrated that the deal was not being negotiated on the basis of equality and that "somehow India was being forced to compromise on its rights and stature".
{{/usCountry}}He also wondered how much information about India's nuclear programme must have been passed on to the US during the talks on the deal.