UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s comment that those opposing India’s nuclear deal with the United States were “enemies of progress and development” were made as part of a well thought out plan to make known to the Left allies the strong stand of Congress in favour of the deal, according to signals emanating from the AICC.

The comments made during a rally in Jhajjar in Haryana on Sunday were “not off the cuff” as the government is very clear that the deal has to go through and that “there is no going back” even if the government has to go because of it, highly-placed AICC sources said.

The ruling party’s thinking process is based on an assessment that it was only a matter of time before the Left ups its ante on the nuclear deal issue, particularly as the government is clear in its approach that despite ongoing meetings of the United Progressive Alliance-Left mechanism to address Left apprehensions, there would not be any stepping back.

“While whatever doubts the Left has should be cleared, it should be made clear to the Left that the deal is in the national interest and has been achieved after almost a decade of thinking, hard bargaining and efforts, including during the NDA government. Whether the government stays or goes, there is no question of going back,” the sources said.

The party has assessed that even in the scenario of the Left’s withdrawal of support, the UPA would be able to run a minority government with the support of “friends  and well wishers” among MPs from other parties. “And if there is a trust vote, we will prove our majority,” the sources said.

One section of the party’s leadership has, in fact, informally welcomed Ms Gandhi’s strong remarks, saying it was time the “Left’s bluff was called”. The party’s hardening stance on the matter comes a day ahead of the next round of talks of the UPA-Left mechanism.

Interestingly, the party officially sought to downplay Ms Gandhi’s remarks and even tried to molly coddle the Left, saying they had been made in the context of Haryana only.

“Whatever she had said was in the context of Haryana and there is no need for seeing it in the national context. It was a programme in Haryana in which she had commented on the situation in the state,” AICC spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi said.