The India-United States nuclear agreement on Tuesday came in for sharp criticisms from various Muslim organisations, which described it as 'anti-India' and vowed to oppose it tooth and nail.
Five Muslim bodies condemned the deal, saying it seeks to establish a strategic alliance between India and the US, a relation which 'would pose a serious threat to India's sovereignty and independent foreign policy'.
At a symposium 'Indo-US nuclear deal and national interest', the organisations said they would start a movement to oppose the agreement tooth and nail.
"The deal is a covert design to have greater strategic alliance with the US. This will make India subservient to American imperialism. It is not against any particular community or religious group. The entire country's interest is at stake," Zafrul Islam Khan, president of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, said.
He said nuclear energy couldn't solve India's energy needs at all. This will push the country to slavery, Khan added.
SQR Ilyas, editor of Afkar-e-Milli and the convener of the symposium, said efforts have been initiated to unite anti-imperialist forces to fight against the deal.
"We will go to the people and make them understand the dangers of the deal," he said.
President of Indian National League Mohammad Sulaiman said the deal "will open the doors for the Americans to scan our reactors. The NSG is under their control. This will affect our sovereignty."
T A Rehmani, president of the Muslim Political Council of India, said all efforts should be made to block the deal.
Samata Party's general secretary Irfan Ulah said America "never thinks for the benefit of any country". The deal is intended to make India the strategic partners of US, he said.
Similar was the view of Mustaba Farooq of Jamaat e-Islami Hind.
"America never thinks in the interest of humanity. Instead of working on the deal, the government should strive to solve the problems of poverty and social inequalities," he said.
Meanwhile, top leaders of the Indian Union Muslim League, a partner in the United Progressive Alliance, will meet on July 10 to decide the party's stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal after examining all aspects of the issue.
Indications from the party leadership were that despite its reservations about the nuclear deal as such, it was against the present crisis being exploited by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The IUML has two members in the Lok Sabha, including Union Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahmed.
"The party will examine all aspects of the situation. A party like the CPI-M can take any position it wants or say whatever it feels. But a party like the IUML, which stands to safeguard minority rights and interests, can arrive at a conclusion only after examining all sides of the issue," IUML state secretary P K Kunhalikitty said.
Asked if his party was worried over losing a berth in the union council of ministers, he said "ministership is not a problem for us."
The League had earlier said that the party had reservations about the nuclear deal in its present form and this had been made clear time and again.