The UPA had made a commitment to pursuing an independent foreign policy during government formation in May 2004, said senior CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, while participating in an interactive programme on BBC Hindi Service Sunday.

As the US Congress is all set to take up the India-US nuclear deal, Yechury warned that the CPI-M would not accept any deviation from the assurance given by Manmohan Singh in parliament about the deal.

"Our main criticism of this government is that it is not pursuing an independent foreign policy, as was decided at the time of formation of the UPA Government in May 2004. So long as our support to this government is there, we would continue to put pressure for the pursuit of an independent line", Yechury said.

According to him, India should give priority to its relations with its South Asian neighbours and countries such as Brazil, South Africa, Russia and China.

"Our country should emerge as a leader of developing nations, only then can we protect our interests, and this would enhance India's position internationally.  We would not gain anything but would stand to lose by being a follower of America.

"We would not accept any deviation in the deal from the assurance given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to both houses of the Indian parliament in August. The prime minister has categorically said that there would be no compromise on our strategic autonomy, national interests and sovereignty.

"We had demanded nine points to be addressed by the prime minister and he did that in parliament. Now that is what has been accepted in parliament and we would not accept any change in the stated position.

"The Government knows anything beyond that would not be acceptable to us; if any change happens then our opposition would intensify and the government also knows the results, if it were to accept any changes without the consent of parliament. We do think that the Government would also not accept any such changes", Yechury said.

The CPI-M politburo member said that if the deal were finalised by the two countries on the terms and conditions agreed and stated so far, the US would also gain from it.

Asserting that the US would not give preference to India over Pakistan, Yechury said, "If the Indian government has an impression it can trust America and win its support, then the government is under a wrong impression.

"If our government thinks that the US would be a friend of India and would consider us an ally, in the same way as it has been treating Pakistan, then they are living under an illusion. Both history and past experience prove this. That is why we are stressing the need for an independent foreign policy".

Asked if India had the option to 'stay cold' towards the only superpower of the world, he said, "We are not against good relations with any country in the world, including America, but this cannot be at the cost of relations with other countries and our national interests."

"In our view, the government should give priority to its relations with the SAARC countries. Next, it should have good relations with other Asian countries, including China. The forthcoming visit of President Hu Jintao is a very important development; both India and China should make all efforts to forge strong bilateral relations.

"Friendly relations among Asian nations would send a good message across the world. Then, India should strengthen its relations with Russia, South Africa and Brazil. The BRICs - Brazil, Russia, India and China  can be a formidable combination in the world", Yechury said.

Describing the ongoing peace talks between Maoists and the ruling seven party alliance in Nepal as historic, Yechury said, "The progress in talks between the Maoists and Nepal's interim government has been good. This week when the two sides sign an agreement under which the Maoists would lay down arms, it would be a historic agreement which would have positive impact on Nepal and whole of South Asia.

"The Indian government should have played a more pro-active role earlier for the restoration of democracy in Nepal. It is now taking correct steps on Nepal," Yechury said.

Dismissing the charge that Left pressure on the UPA government had been ineffective, he claimed: "It is the result of our pressure that Manmohan Singh, who during his tenure as finance minister strongly favoured privatisation of the public sector, was today as prime minister saying that profit-making PSUs would not be privatised.

"Had our pressure not been there, probably the Indo-US nuclear deal would have been finalised, and our pressure is there in our national interests", he added.

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