The UPA government today faced flak from the Left and BJP for going along with the US and EU on a resolution to refer Iran’s nuclear programme to the UNSC.Accusing the government of caving in to pressure, the CPI(M) said the vote had ‘‘caused immense damage to India’s standing in the non-aligned and developing countries.’’In a statement, it said: ‘‘The Manmohan Singh government has caved in to US pressure and gone back on its stated stand. India should ponder over the fact that Russia, China and many third world countries have abstained from voting on the resolution.’’The CPI, meanwhile, said that the government’s clarification that it had voted with US-EU after negotiations with Germany, France and Britain—and after they agreed to give more time to Iran—was a laboured attempt to save face.‘‘This step of the UPA government amounts to letting down a friendly country which is today under American threat and whose president had personally pleaded with the Prime Minister of India for support,’’ the party statement said.Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha accused the government of ‘‘abandoning Iran’’ under US pressure. ‘‘A government which came to power vowing to follow an independent foreign policy has finally surrendered its independence to US,’’ said Sinha, a former foreign minister.Yet, it was the CPI(M), which came out with the strongest reaction.‘‘Till the eve of the vote in the (IAEA), the Indian government had maintained that Iran issue should be dealt with within the framework of the IAEA and recognised Iran’s right to develop its nuclear technology under international safeguards. All these positions have now been reversed,’’ the party said.‘‘The government has caved in under threat from the US that is has to choose where it stands—with the US or Iran—and the blunt message that the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement will not be ratified by the US Congress if India takes an independent stand,’’ the CPM said.
