Karat slams UPA over FDI in retail-India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Prakash Karat has attacked the UPA Government for going ahead with its decision to implement the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail without taking the mandate of Parliament. Karat said Congress Party had not mentioned one word about FDI in retail in its election manifesto for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. He said that it was suggested by different parties that the Government should not go ahead with the FDI in retail, unless there was a political consensus. " There is no change there. In fact, within the UPA, some major allies have opposed the decision," he said. Asserting that the majority in Parliament are against multi-brand retail in FDI, Karat said the government, therefore, has no right or mandate to proceed with FDI in multi-brand retail. "In spite of everything, the Prime Minister has gone ahead with the announcement which is true to his character. Commitments made to the US stand ahead of the interests of the people of the country," said Karat. "The government should not go ahead with FDI in multi-brand retail, increase diesel price or place a cap on subsidised gas cylinders," he added. Karat said that his party would intensify the movement against FDI in retail and all the anti-people measures taken by the government. "Tomorrow, the opposition parties will observe 'nation-wide bandh'. We appeal to all those who will protest tomorrow to support the strike," he said. The Congress-led UPA Government appears to be in trouble as of now following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's declaration that the Trinamool Congress would be pulling out of the UPA Government. Banerjee earlier today gave no indication of changing her decision to withdraw support to the UPA Government. "I will stick to my position, come what may...the (TMC) ministers will tender their resignations," she told reporters in Kolkata a day after she announced withdrawal of support and pull out ministers, if the government does not go back on its decisions. The Congress Core Group met at Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's official 7, Race Course Road residence in New Delhi earlier today to decide on the next step in wake of the TMC withdrawal from the ruling UPA Government. Trinamool Congress, the second biggest constituent of the UPA with 19 MPs, dealt a major blow to the Manmohan Singh Government when it decided to withdraw its support on the issue of petroleum price hike, FDI in retail and corruption. The TMC's decision brings the UPA's effective strength in the 545-seat Lok Sabha from 273 to 254, which is slightly below the halfway mark. This would make the Congress-led UPA Government more dependent on the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), both of which extend outside legislative support to the UPA regime.

CPM leader Karat slams UPA over FDI in retail