Congress party spokesperson Manish Tiwary on Saturday described the Nuclear Suppliers Group's go-ahead to the India-specific waiver as a 'great achievement of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in person and India as a nation'.
However, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party maintained that it might be a win for Dr Singh but 'it was a defeat for the nation'.
The NSG meeting was merely a stage-managed show for both Dr Singh and President George W Bush, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told rediff.com.
"They took the world for a ride. Dr Singh may have won temporarily but the nation has lost. He has compromised the integrity of the nation," he said.
But the Congress's foe-turned-ally Samajwadi Party termed the waiver as a great victory for India and said it would help the country in its development.
"India needs development and not nuclear bombs," SP General Secretary Amar Singh said, criticising the opposition parties for 'beating around the bush'.
Additional Reportage by PTI