Shashi Tharoor Criticizes India's Nuclear Energy Bill: A Dangerous Leap into Privatization

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has criticized the government's proposed nuclear energy bill, describing it as a 'dangerous leap into privatized nuclear expansion' without adequate safeguards. He emphasized that public safety, environmental protection, and victim justice should not be compromised for capital pursuits and advocated for comprehensive reforms.

In a heated debate in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took a strong stance against the government's proposed nuclear energy bill, calling it a 'dangerous leap into privatized nuclear expansion' with inadequate safeguards. Tharoor emphasized that public safety, environmental protection, and victim justice should not be sacrificed in the quest for capital.

Tharoor criticized the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill as being riddled with exceptions and heavy on discretion while remaining largely indifferent to public welfare. He compared the name 'SHANTI,' meaning peace and sustainability, to a cruel irony should a preventable disaster occur.

Highlighting the bill's structural flaws, Tharoor insisted on a comprehensive reworking rather than cosmetic amendments. He raised concerns about the blanket opening of the nuclear-energy sector to private actors and the inadequacy of liability caps in the event of a nuclear incident, arguing these factors combined to significantly elevate risks.

(With inputs from agencies.)