By IANS,
New Delhi: Defending the nuclear liability bill which is facing stiff opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Left parties, the Congress said Monday that their stand was “unfounded” and it was a public interest measure “in tune with international paradigms”.
Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi described as “totally unfounded” opposition to the bill by the BJP and Left, contending that the bill had provisions for automatic compensation in case of a nuclear accident and there was a second tier of compensation as well.
“It does not exclude further criminal liability based on fault,” he said.
Singhvi said those opposing the bill were doing so with a “blinkered vision”.
With the government having withdrawn the bill before its introduction in the first half of budget session, Congress leaders said that persuasion was the best way to bring the opponents of the bill on board.
They admitted that the government had some concern for numbers in Parliament due to uncertainty about the stand of parties extending outside support to it besides the opposition from the BJP and Left.
Congress leaders said it was for the government to decide modalities of engagement with political parties opposed to the bill but emphasised that attempts to take everyone along should continue.
Party leaders, however, also added that government should have displayed better floor management while sizing up the opposition to the bill. They said the government should have been more aware of the “united nature of opposition”.
The BJP has refused to give up its opposition to the legislation despite National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon meeting the party leaders a second time to explain the government’s viewpoint.
The Left parties had issued a statement urging MPs not to support the bill, which is a key element to operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist termed the bill “a harmful piece of legislation meant to serve interests of the United States and its nuclear industry”.