22 December 2025 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : The Congress on Sunday intensified its attack on the BJP-led Central Government over the passage of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, alleging that the legislation was rushed through Parliament to serve foreign and corporate interests rather than strengthen India’s public sector and indigenous capabilities.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that the Bill was “bulldozed” through Parliament not only to meet expectations linked to the United States but also to facilitate the entry of large private players, including the Adani group, into the civil nuclear sector. His remarks came a day after Parliament cleared the Bill, opening up the tightly regulated nuclear energy sector to private participation.
Ramesh shared a screenshot of a media report stating that the Adani group was planning a foray into nuclear energy following the government’s decision to allow private firms into the sector. Using sharp wordplay, he said the SHANTI Bill had been pushed through “not only for TRUMP but also for ADANI”, alleging that the legislation was tailored to suit specific geopolitical and corporate interests.
The Congress leader argued that the timing and manner of the Bill’s passage were significant, particularly in light of developments in the United States. He said US President Donald Trump had recently signed the National Defence Authorisation Act for the US fiscal year 2026, a voluminous law that includes a reference to a joint assessment between India and the US on nuclear liability rules. According to Ramesh, this reference sheds light on why the Indian Government hurriedly cleared the SHANTI Bill earlier this week.
He alleged that the new law dilutes key safeguards contained in the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, which had been passed unanimously by Parliament. Those provisions, he said, were intended to protect Indian interests and ensure accountability in the event of a nuclear accident. The dilution of these clauses, Ramesh claimed, was aimed at smoothing relations with the US leadership and reviving personal equations at the highest political level.
The Congress also accused the government of undermining India’s public sector strength in the nuclear domain. Speaking during the debate in the Rajya Sabha, Ramesh had urged the Centre not to promote private companies at the cost of public sector undertakings, arguing that nuclear power infrastructure should continue to be led by state-run entities backed by indigenous technology.
He maintained that private firms could not become the growth engine of the nuclear sector, asserting that they should not be placed above the country’s PSUs in a strategic and sensitive area such as nuclear energy. He also pressed for a stronger push to home-grown technology to expand India’s energy capacity, rather than opening the door widely to private participation.
The SHANTI Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote, with the House rejecting several amendments moved by Opposition members seeking to refer the proposed legislation to a parliamentary committee for detailed scrutiny. The Lok Sabha had cleared the Bill earlier in the week.
Summary:
The Congress has alleged that the SHANTI Bill was introduced to serve the interests of former US President Donald Trump and industrialist Gautam Adani. The party accused the government of tailoring policies to benefit select corporate and foreign interests rather than prioritizing public welfare. The government has rejected the claims, maintaining that the bill is aimed at national development and strategic objectives.