New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati Monday appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to make the India-US nuclear deal a “prestige” issue and said the next government should finalise it. Mayawati, who has virtually taken over the role of the principal opposition rallying point for smaller political formations opposing Manmohan Singh’s government in the trust vote, also claimed that the deal was a step to make India a slave of the US.

“The government and the prime minister should not make the deal a prestige issue. They should suspend the deal for the time being as elections are near. Let the next government take a decision on it,” she told a press conference here.

She also pointed out that the nuclear deal would unnecessarily obstruct the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project as the US was acting against Tehran in a dangerous manner.

“The whole world will have to face the consequences of a nuclear war between the US and Iran and the blame for this will fall on the UPA government if it goes ahead with the deal,” Mayawati said.

She asked the government to assert India’s claim to permanent membership of the UN Security Council instead of pushing ahead with the nuclear deal.

When asked whether the Opposition parties had enough numbers to topple the UPA, she said: “Wait till tomorrow, you will come to know.”

Mayawati, who was more restrained than usual, refused to comment on the allegations made by Samajwadi Party leaders that the BSP was using money power to lure MPs from other parties.