Left, JDS, Muslim groups slam nuke deal

During the conference, the leaders also condemned terrorism, but came down heavily on 8220;victimisation8221; of innocents in the name of curbing terror, especially those belonging to minority communities, and 8220;dividing8221; the people on the basis of religion.

Besides CPIM, CPI, RSP, Forward Bloc and JDS, around 15 Muslim organisations led by Jamat-e-Islami Hind JeIH and several NGOs took part in the conference.

Decrying the nuclear deal, CPIM leader Mohd Salim said providing atomic energy was 8220;only a pretext8221; for the US imperialism to entangle India into its 8220;imperialist web8221;.

8220;The context is that three months before the deal was agreed upon in December 2005, a joint military agreement called 8220;Indo-US Defence Framework8221; was signed between then US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld and then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee,8221; he said.

These agreements are clearly aimed at making India a strategic ally of the US in the lines of Israel, Salim said.

CPI National Secretary Atul Kumar Anjaan said the deal was a 8220;precursor8221; to India-US partnership in knowledge and agriculture sector.