Ahead of Tuesday's discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the India-United States nuclear agreement, the Communist Party of India � Marxist stepped up attack on the issue alleging that the deal's larger agenda was to convert India into a subordinate ally of the US. The CPI-M added that New Delhi's shift in policy was visible in the Indo-Iranian relations.

"Day-to-day developments reconfirm our fears that the US wants to convert India into its subordinate ally in South Asia, even before the Indo-US nuclear deal has come into effect. This is a very ominous development," said Politburo member Sitaram Yechury.

The CPI-M leader said that the 123 agreement, which was firmly anchored in the Hyde Act, has fallen short "not just of our objections but of the assurances of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] himself."

Maintaining that American pressure was working on the government to shift its foreign policy and on Indian companies as well, Yechury said the deal was, "Not more than only nuclear cooperation, it has a larger agenda ...to convert India as a subordinate ally of the US in South Asia".

In this context, he referred to India's non-participation in a scheduled meeting with Iran and Pakistan on the gas pipeline and pointed out, "Not going for the project or delaying it is not in India's interest. It is clearly succumbing to US pressures".