The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday asked the government to suspend all further action on the Indo-US nuclear deal until it proves its majority in the Lok Sabha.
The party also sought an assurance from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the draft of safegaurd agreement sent to the International Atomic Energy Agency would be withdrawn if he loses the trust vote.
"All further action in respect of the nuclear deal must be suspended by the government until it proves its majority on the floor of the House," a release issued by BJP said.
It asked the prime minister to make his stand clear on media reports suggesting that the nuclear deal was a "done" deal irrespective of the United Progressive Alliance government's survival or otherwise.
"Media reports quoting highly placed officials suggest that the deal is done, whether the UPA survives the trust vote or not. The BJP demands that the prime minister immediately make his stand clear on this matter," the release said.
The matter should be made clear before the session convenes. If this is indeed the understanding of the government, it is a very serious matter. It is tantamount to "showing disrespect and contempt for Parliament," it added.
Going by the reports, it appears that the prime minister no longer believes Parliament to be "sovereign".
As far as "broad national consensus" is concerned, it simply does not exist. Nevertheless, flouting his own assurance given three years ago, the prime minister has gone ahead with the deal, the release said.
The saffron party also asked the UPA "why it has hurriedly sent a team of officials to meet the IAEA secretariat in Vienna, barely four days before the trust vote in Parliament."