'No similarity between Bhopal and Nuclear Liability Bill'

The Commerce Minister Anand Sharma has said that the Bhopal tragedy did not figure in his discussions with US officials.

He also brushed aside any comparision of the nuclear liability bill pending in Parliament with the Bhopal gas tragedy.

"The subject never came up. It's a matter which is sub judice back home. And it's not a subject to come up at these forums," Sharma told Indian reporters at a press roundtable.

"The criminal civil and cooperate liability are very much defined with clarity in the laws of both the countries and jurisprudence," Sharma said in response to a question.

When specifically asked that the Group of Ministers (GoM) in India had discussed the issue, Sharma said, "The GoM is not meant for this country.GoM will give its recommendations to the Cabinet of India".

Before the Indian Cabinet considers the recommendations of GoM, it is no question of a Minister of the Republic of India, even commenting on it.

However, Sharma said the Cabinet can ask the judiciary to have a very clear interpretation of the three judgments from the highest courts of the judicature.

"That I think, the Cabinet or the executive would be very much within its rights as far as our constitutional scheme of things to request through the judicature General of India. But, beyond that no. We don't discuss it outside when we have not discussed it within our own system", he said.

"I can't speak of others. It never came up in none of our interactions," Sharma responded when journalists insisted upon the same question again and again.

"I did not raise it, nor did my interlocutors," he said.

"The CEOs Forum and the interactions were not pre-arranged to discuss this matter, nor they were expected to," the minister added.

When asked about the constant linkage / comparison between Bhopal and the Nuclear Liability Bill, Sharma asserted that these are two separate issues.

"I feel that these are two separate issues. I do not think, the two issues are linked. Question of cooperate responsibility, culpability and liability are different issues," he said.

"There are defined laws," he added.

Sharma was here in Washington to attend the Indo-US CEOs Forum meeting.

He also had bilateral meetings with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and US Trade Representatives Ron Kirk.