Congress prepares to take on govt over nuclear deal issue in upcoming Parliament session

New Delhi: The issue of operationalising the Indo-US civil nuclear deal will echo in Parliament when Budget session begins on 23 February as Congress plans to ask the Government to explain the assurances it has given during Barack Obama’s visit for resolving the logjam. [caption id=“attachment_2068317” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] The party at the same time made it clear that it was not opposing the finalisation of the agreement as the “Indo-US nuclear deal was scripted by the UPA, which the BJP then opposed but finally adopted.” “Government must inform Parliament about the assurances on the commercial component of the agreement it reached, the financial liability clause and the compensation part. We do not have the fineprint of the assurances given as yet. “They have kept it vague so far. Government has not shared the details and it must place them before Parliament,” Deputy Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma told PTI. Sharma, at the same time, said that his party was not opposing the agreement as such as the Indo-US nuclear deal was UPA’s baby. India and the US reached an understanding on resolving the logjam in implementing the landmark civil nuclear deal on 25 January, which was announced jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President Obama here. They reached the “breakthrough” on the stalled civil nuclear agreement by agreeing on commercial cooperation. Congress has so far reacted cautiously to the development, saying it would have to see the fine print on whether Modi has addressed issues raised by the US within India’s legal framework and sought details as to how the difficulties were overcome. Some party functionaries speaking on the condition of anonymity said that Congress members will raise the issue in both Houses when the Budget session begins and will ask the government to inform Parliament of the assurances that have been given. The Congress functionaries said that the issue can be raised during the debate on President’s motion in the House on 24 and 25 February. A senior party functionary speaking separately said on the condition of anonymity that the party will examine whether the assurances given by Modi government will require amendments in the deal signed earlier or were in consonance with India’s stand. “Government will have to make a statement on Obama visit. We will see whether the statement is made by Prime Minister Modi or External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. We will seek to know what breakthrough has been made,” the leader said. A day after the agreement was signed, White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said, “On the issue of liability, the Indians have put forward an approach in which they’re creating an insurance pool, and committed financial resources to that pool that will mitigate risk for companies that are doing business here in India. “In terms of the two governments, we believe that we have reached an understanding on these critical issues that have been an impediment to moving forward in the last several years. At the same time, it’s ultimately up to US companies to make their own determinations about whether and when to invest in India and to move forward.” A contact group was formed by the two countries after the 30 September Obama-Modi meeting at the White House, which met three times to resolve the impending issues related to the civil nuclear deal. Sharma said that he does not know what guarantee has been given to companies, where they will stand the scrutiny and from where the insurance pool would be funded. “We would like the government to come out with details of these before the House,” Sharma said. PTI