Lawmakers in India have accused Washington of trying to curb New Delhi's atomic program with the controversial nuclear deal.
Detractors of the deal in India feel that it is attempting to cap the country's nuclear weapons program and also impinging on India's right to pursue atomic reserach for peaceful purposes.
The civilian nuclear cooperation deal gives India access to US atomic fuel and equipment on the agreement of allowing international inspections of its civilian nuclear reactors and segregation of its civilian and military programs.
The opposition came to the fore in a parliament debate just weeks before the US Senate is to vote on it after the House of Representatives passed it with an overwhelming majority.
The deal also needs the backing of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and has to be jointly aproved by the two houses after technical details of the pact have been finalized.
Yashwant Sinha, a lawmaker from the main opposition party said that the deleterious effect of the deal has never been in any doubt as it aims to suppress the country's strategic nuclear weapons program.
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