The Left Front on Sunday took strong exception to United Progressive Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's [Images] comments against those opposing the India-United States civilian nuclear agreement and alleged that the Congress was forcing elections on the country.

"The Congress is going to an election mode. The Congress wants to impose an election on the country. It is the Congress which will be responsible if the governments falls and an election is imposed on the country," Communist Party of India General Secretary A B Bardhan said in New Delhi on Sunday.

He went on to add that the Left was trying its best and its presence in the UPA-Left nuclear committee was a pointer in this direction. "We never said that we are withdrawing our support. We never said that we are going to pull you down," Bardhan added.

Reacting to Gandhi's remarks, CPI Secretary D Raja said, "It appears that the Congress is forcing elections on the people. The Left is not instrumental in plunging the country towards another election."

Asserting that the Left has been opposing the nuclear deal in the national interest, he said, "We are identified with peace and development and it is the Left which has been for the peace movement and fighting for nuclear disarmament."

Echoing similar views, Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said that the Left opposition was a "principled position which cannot be compromised."

"The nuclear deal will not only influence our nuclear independence but will also adversely affect our economic and foreign policies," he said, adding that the "people will decide who is right or wrong."

Revolutionary Socialist Party leader Abani Roy, however, feels that the Left should withdraw support to the government as there was no other alternative before it.

"We have to pull out. Yes, there is not doubt about it. We told them categorically not to go ahead but they are going ahead," he said.

"We also said that if you go ahead then you have to face the consequences. So that means now we have no other alternative but to withdraw ourselves," the RSP leader said.