UPA to redraft dodgy N-liability bill

New Delhi: With the principal opposition party, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), joining hands with Left members of parliament to oppose the controversial Nuclear Liability Bill and the support of its allies an ever-present uncertainty, the Congress Party yesterday held parleys with leading lights of the BJP on the most controversial aspects of the Bill and has apparently agreed to rewrite them.

This was made evident by the fact that the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, which is charged with formulating all aspects of the Bill, has now been provided extension of a week in order to incorporate suggestions made by the BJP.

The Standing Committee was earlier supposed to present its report on Wednesday.

With all aspects of the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement having been cleared at the American end, its passage through the Indian Parliament is the last rite that remains to be done before the Indo-US n-deal becomes fully operational.

The ruling UPA coalition would also be desperate to have the bill in the bag before US president Barack Obama comes visiting later in the year.

With the BJP and the Left joining hands in opposing the Bill, and its so-called allies remaining as unpredictable as ever, the UPA apparently thought it wise to arrive at an agreement with the BJP and circumvent what promised to be a bruising battle in trying to get the legislation passed through the Parliament.