Congress welcomes Arun Shourie's support to economic reforms - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Congress leader Harish Rawat on Monday welcomed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Shourie's defence of the government's decision to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, saying that all reasonable politicians have supported Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's economic reforms. "All reasonable people across the political spectrum in the country have supported the decision by our Prime Minister, and they understand that this step is essential for the economic growth of the country," Rawat said. "When economic growth is steady, inflation will fall, employment will be generated, the country will grow stronger and politics would flourish too. But there are some political units who are just interested in doing politics. Hence, it is encouraging to see that some reasonable leaders of those very political units are praising the decision," he added. Shourie had earlier welcomed the Centre's decision to hike diesel prices and allow foreign direct investment or FDI in retail, saying it was the need of the hour. "Increasing diesel prices was the need of the hour. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has for the first time shown his strength," he told mediapersons in Bhopal . The government took some decisions last week, including the hike in diesel price, cap the supply of subsidised LPG cylinders to six per household and approving 51 percent Foreign Direct Investment or FDI in multi-brand retail. The UPA Government, however, faced stiff protest from its biggest ally, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), which eventually pulled out of the ruling coalition.

Congress welcomes Arun Shourie's support for PM's economic reforms