Washington, June 17: America’s non-proliferationists and other opponents of the Indo-US nuclear deal have been gifted a political windfall on the eve of a meeting of the UPA-Left panel on the deal.

Notwithstanding what happens at tomorrow’s panel meeting in New Delhi, opponents of the deal here will make the most of yesterday’s judgment against a Singaporean of Indian origin to 35 months in prison.

Parthasarathy Sudarshan, 47, has been sentenced to jail here for his role in a conspiracy to illegally export electronic components to Indian government entities engaged in the development of ballistic missiles, space launch vehicles and fighter jets.

He had been arrested more than a year ago.

In March this year, Sudarshan, a former employee of India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), admitted in court to conspiracy to violate America’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Export Administration Regulations, the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and helping India’s defence programmes.

Although the judgment against the Indian-origin businessman was lighter than expected, judge Ricardo M. Urbina was harsh on India while pronouncing his sentence.

Urbina said the US must be “vigilant” about sending sensitive technology to India because it could be used to develop the country’s nuclear weapons programme or fall into the hands of rogue nations.

That and court papers alleging that Sudarshan took instructions and co-ordinated his illegal activities with a defence-related official of the Indian embassy in Washington could be used to derail the nuclear deal if it returns to the US Congress any time soon.

Compounding the UPA government’s problems as it tries to breathe new life into the deal is a change of guard in the US Congress, which must approve the so-called 123 Agreement for the deal to become operational.

Following the recent death of Tom Lantos, an ardent supporter of the deal, Howard Berman has become chairman of the House of Representatives foreign affairs committee.

Berman is an uncompromising opponent of the deal with India and his staff have already said that he would hold hearings if the 123 Agreement was brought before Congress.

This would be a violation of the original agreement between the Bush administration and the Lantos-led committee to send the agreement to Congress for an “up-or-down” vote without discussion or amendments.

Henry Hyde, the senior-most Republican on the committee in whose name the Hyde Act was enacted for his work in support of the deal is also no longer a member of the House of Representatives.

His replacement on the committee is Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a reluctant supporter of the deal.

If there are new hearings on Capitol Hill, the case of Sudarshan will inevitably come up. A lot of dirty linen that has been conveniently shoved under cover for reasons of political expediency by the prosecuting authorities will likely be washed at any new hearings and could put the Indian government in the dock.