Communist party head Prakash Karat called India’s siding with the United States at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ”the final act of surrender” to Washington and said left-wing parties “cannot countenance this new direction in foreign policy.”

The warning that India must reverse its “pro-US” decision to vote against the nuclear programme of Iran, New Delhi’s longstanding friend, appeared in an interview with Karat with the Indian Express daily Friday.

The statements came a day after millions of workers took to the streets in a nationwide strike against the government’s economic liberalisation policies that was spearheaded by its communist allies.

Karat blamed Singh squarely for India’s move to support the motion passed last weekend at the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, which says Irans nuclear activities may conceal an arms program and need referral to the UN Security Council.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said “the final act of surrender took place during Manmohan Singh’s visit to New York earlier this month and in the run-up to his meeting with President (George) Bush.”

The strike and row over the vote has marked an escalation of tensions between the government and the communists who provide the ruling Congress-led coalition with a majority in parliament.

“By the next board meeting of the IAEA in November, the Indian government will have to undo the damage,” said Karat. India must say ”clearly the Iranian nuclear issue is not a fit case for referring to the UN Security Council.”

Karat said to make the government adopt such a policy “it is necessary for all the Left and democratic forces to mobilise the people in defence of an independent foreign policy” but did not go so far as to say the Left would withdraw its support from the government.

The US has accused Iran of hiding secret nuclear weapons work, allegations denied by Teheran, which says it is pursuing a peaceful civilian nuclear program.