Banerjee, who was responding to a Congress query whether West Bengal needed nuclear power, went against his party line — dead opposed to the Indo-US nuclear deal, the CPM has been claiming that “nuclear power is not the energy choice of most advanced countries” — and pointed out that “France gets 75 per cent of its power from nuclear power.”

As he made out a case for nuclear energy, Banerjee cast aside the CPM preference for coal and renewable energy. “The coal position is such that we have to import... our coal is inferior... this has worsened thermal power generation... in this situation, we have to look at other types of fuel... renewable energy resources are not enough to meet our needs,” he said.

Banerjee said he did not subscribe to fears about nuclear power. “For the last 30 years, our country has been generating 4,000 MW of nuclear power,” he said, adding “there have been just two (nuclear) accidents worldwide so far”.

“Nuclear power does not automatically mean a Hiroshima or Nagasaki... if there are safety measures, then where is the objection?” he asked. “I have heard that NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd) has taken adequate safety measures.”

He told the House that in 2005 the NPCIL had formed a site selection committee and had scouted for a site across the country, including West Bengal. “But I don’t know if they selected any site in West Bengal,” he said.