Friday, July 22 2005 19:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Congress today (July 22, 2005) rejected criticism by Left parties of Indo-US nuclear agreement reached during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying India has gained considerably "without conceding anything" and has now been recognised as a nuclear State.

"We believe that India has gained. It has its voice heard among the comity of nations. The segregation it had few years ago has ended. We believe that without conceding any thing we have gained a recognition as a nuclear State", Party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.

Disagreeing with left's criticism of the issue, he said the country has given up none of its sovereign rights and, "We look upon this as a big comprehensive success which was impossible two years ago".

"We do not agree with the Left criticism. They have their own opinion on this....It is a time to endorse what has been achieved. We stand by what Prime Minister has said," Singhvi said adding that in international relations, every country safeguards its national interests.

"Perhaps US President George W Bush's decision with regard to India was keeping an eye on the huge market potential India has", he said.

Asked specifically as to what happened to Rajiv Gandhi's cherished disarmament dream, he said the late Prime Minister was for peaceful uses of nuclear energy, no first use of nuclear weapons and was opposed to discriminatory nuclear politics.

"I think all these have been advocated during the visit", Singhvi said.