New Delhi: Continuing his hostility to the India-US nuclear deal, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) chief Prakash Karat has described the inking of the 123 pact Friday as “a black day in Indian history" and a "big surrender before the US".

The CPI-M general secretary vowed to continue the struggle against the deal, which he stressed was “a big gain for the US and big loss for India".

“Oct 10 will go down in Indian history as a black day as the Manmohan Singh government has signed the nuclear deal with the US,” Karat Saturday told Kairali TV channel, known for its pro-CPI-M stand.

“It is a big surrender before the US. The nuclear deal should not be implemented. In the coming days we have to continue our struggle,” Karat, who led the Left parties to withdraw their support to the UPA government over the deal in July, said.

With the Congress planning to aggressively sell the nuclear deal in the elections - the party has hired an ad agency for the purpose - Karat underlined that the Left parties will vigorously counter the government's claims.

“The Congress will go to the election claiming that the deal is a historical achievement and we (the Congress) are going to supply electricity to all villages. But, we will counter it,” the CPI-M leader said.

“We will go to the people and tell them that the country's sovereignty has been surrendered.”

“Let the people decide whether the deal should be implemented,” he said.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sealed the deal by inking the bilateral 123 Agreement at a ceremony in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the State Department at 4.16 p.m. Friday (1.46 a.m. Indian time Saturday). The Communist parties have vigorously opposed the nuclear deal and maintain it will make India a junior partner of the US' strategic interests.

 

Source : IANS