N-bill report tabled, opposition claims Congress-BJP trade-off

NEW DELHI - A section of the opposition Wednesday alleged a trade-off between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party — the BJP lending support to the civil nuclear liability bill tabled in parliament in lieu of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi being let off in the Sohrabuddin killing case.

“They have struck a deal and Modi has been exempted from the (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case,” Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh said.

The report of the parliamentary standing committee on the civil nuclear liability bill was tabled in both houses of parliament Wednesday amid nosiy protests.

The report commending the amended draft legislation tom parliament was finalised after the panel agreed to the BJP’s demand of raising the compensation cap from Rs.500 crore, as provided in the earlier draft, to Rs.1,500 crore in case of a nuclear accident.

The report also recommends shutting out private players from the sector in India, that means either the government or the government-owned companies can operate nuclear plants in the country.

Lalu Prasad of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) said the non-United Progressive Alliance and non-National Demcratic Alliance parties will “bring the issue in parliament”.

“The BJP and the Congress have joined hands. They have decided to go soft on Modi in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case and the BJP supported the bill,” Lalu Prasad told reporters.

Opposition MPs disrupted the proceedings in parliament when the two houses met for the day’s sitting WEdnesday morning. Amid protests, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day and the Lok Sabha till 2 p.m.