Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday said the government will always give "paramount" consideration to protection of the country's interests while dealing with the Iran nuclear issue and Indo-US nuclear deal.
"As Singh (Prime Minister Manmohan Singh) has repeatedly said, our government will always give paramount consideration to the protection of India's short-term and long-term strategic and national interests," she told a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting in New Delhi.
Noting that Iran nuclear and Indo-US nuclear deal issues are under "intense public scrutiny", Sonia said, "We welcome the opportunity for a debate in both Houses of Parliament."
She said Dr Singh has made a detailed statement giving the complete background to the government's stand.
The Left parties have castigated the government for voting against Iran at the recent meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
It has warned the government against "buckling" under the US pressure on the plan to separate its civilian and military nuclear military facilities to implement the nuclear deal.