Hyderabad (PTI): Leaders of the Left parties in Andhra Pradesh on Friday slammed the UPA government over the Indo-US nuclear deal, alleging the deal is against national interests.

"What national interest is served by ignoring thermal energy which is available cheaply? Secondly, with the deal, our reactors at Tarapore and Kalpakkam would go into their hands," CPI(M) state secretary B V Raghavulu said, addressing a meeting organised by the CPI and CPI(M) against the deal.

"The Samajwadi Party quotes former President A P J Abdul Kalam in support of the deal. But, Kalam favours taking advantage of the thorium reserves. Why don't you do that," he said.

The advent of the N-deal would also lead to allowing MNCs in retail trade, pension funds and media which has been put on the back burner so far under Left pressure, the CPI(M) leader said.

CPI MP and senior leader S Sudhakar Reddy demanded that the UPA government tell the nation on what basis it was gathering majority.

Citing the JMM MPs case during the reign of P V Narasimha Rao, he alleged that the Congress has history of encouraging malpractices.