With the smooth passage of the Nuclear Liability Bill in both Houses of parliament, the stage is set for some unexpected legislative bonhomie between the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a reference that is indicative of the warmth between the two parties, BJP leader in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley was effusive in his admiration of Union
minister for science and technology Prithviraj Chavan as he placed on record his “deep sense of appreciation for the minister, particularly for the flexibility and humility that he displayed in trying to accommodate various concerns, both of the opposition parties and other interested groups”.
Such praise has been rare if it has ever occurred. It has not only altered the tone and tenor of discussions in parliament, but has also paved the way for the government’s decision to let the ordinance on Enemy Property law lapse.
BJP has set its terms for supporting this legislation with spokesperson SS Ahluwalia making it clear that the party would vote for this law only if the rights of the tenants were protected.
“We want the government to take our concerns on board in this respect,” he asserted.
With the monsoon session coming to an end without the bill replacing this ordinance getting through parliament, this ordinance will now lapse. “We do not know the course of action that will be followed by the government, but necessary steps would be taken to get a consensus,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said.
The proposed legislation in its current form has also been opposed Muslim MPs, cutting across party lines.
This mood is also reflected in the advisory and cautionary nature of the criticism of the government’s approach to critical issues. As Jaitley said: “Having passed this law, we should not enter the nuclear market with a defensive attitude. When [we] go to the market with a demand for buying 40 nuclear reactors, in the long run we should approach it from a position of strength, as then it would be a buyers’ market and not a sellers’ market.”
The fact that Jaitley’s words were well received by the ruling party as well was confirmed by prime minister Manmohan Singh’s appreciation of this speech by the usual thumping of the desk.
