New Delhi, Dec 21 

The Congress on Saturday attacked the Modi government over the passage of the SHANTI Bill, alleging it was “bulldozed” through Parliament to benefit “TRUMP and ADANI”.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X claiming the Adani Group is planning a foray into nuclear energy following the opening up of the sector to private participation.

Parliament earlier this week cleared the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, with the Rajya Sabha passing it by a voice vote. The legislation seeks to allow private players into the tightly regulated civil nuclear sector.

“SHANTI was bulldozed through in Parliament not only for TRUMP (The Reactor Use Management Programme) but also for ADANI (Accelerated Damaging Adhiniyam for Nuclear India),” Ramesh said, reiterating the Congress’s charge that the Bill was pushed to serve select interests.

The party further alleged the move was aimed at helping Prime Minister Narendra Modi restore “SHANTI” with his “once good friend”. Ramesh claimed the Bill weakens key provisions of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.

Referring to the US National Defence Authorisation Act for FY 2026, recently signed by President Donald Trump, Ramesh said the document mentions a joint India–US assessment on nuclear liability rules, which, he alleged, explains the timing of the Bill’s passage.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Ramesh urged the government not to promote private firms at the cost of public sector undertakings in building nuclear power infrastructure, and called for greater reliance on indigenous technology. He argued that private companies cannot replace PSUs as the growth engine of the nuclear sector.

The government, however, rejected the criticism. Replying to the debate, Minister of State for Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh said the SHANTI Bill aims to make India self-reliant in nuclear energy and reduce dependence on other sources.

The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after amendments moved by Opposition members to refer it to a parliamentary committee were rejected.