M A I N   N E W S

FDI storm set to hit Parliament
Opposition plans adjournment motions; it’s unacceptable, says govt
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, November 27
After a wasted first week, Parliament is headed for another session of washouts with the Opposition today saying it would move adjournment motions in the Lok Sabha and similar motions in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the FDI in retail and the government ruling out acceptance of such notices that entail voting.

The government, while charging the Opposition of deliberately disrupting proceedings of the Parliament, said it was willing to discuss the FDI issue but only under parliamentary rules for discussion of such matters.

“We are ready to discuss the issue and will debate its merits in Parliament but only under Rule 193 of the Lok Sabha procedures and similar rules in the Rajya Sabha,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told The Tribune today.

“Last week, we made every attempt to break the logjam and agreed to accept one adjournment motion on black money. As per the agreement last reached with the Opposition, the price rise discussion was to be taken up tomorrow. Now we hear they are declaring they won’t let the Houses function,” he added.

The price rise discussion, expected in the LS tomorrow, now looks unlikely, with the entire Opposition and even UPA allies - the Trinamool Congress and the BSP - firm on opposing the Cabinet decision of allowing 51 pc FDI in multi-brand retail and 100 pc FDI in single brand retail.

The BJP, the JDU, the CPI, the CPM, the SP and the BSP will move notices for adjournment of the Lok Sabha to discuss the government’s decision to allow FDI in retail tomorrow. Murli Manohar Joshi for the BJP, Sharad Yadav for the JDU, Basudeb Acharia for the CPM, Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI); Chief whip Shailendra Kumar for the Samajwadi Party and Dhananjay Singh for the BSP are expected to give notices of adjournment tomorrow in the Lok Sabha. JDU chief Sharad Yadav today said the Opposition parties were collaborating on the matter.

Meanwhile, TMC’s Kakoli Ghosh said her party was yet to finalise the parliament strategy. She, however, said, “We are against FDI in retail.”

Even otherwise the countrywide criticism of government’s move grew today with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalitha terming it as “arrogant and unprecedented”. She said “The decision is ill-advised and retail trade would be completely taken over by MNC-dominated giants. This is not good for the country. We won’t allow it in Tamil Nadu.”

The Opposition also slammed UPA’s advertisements in several national dailies today to explain the merits of the FDI. The real heat will be on the government tomorrow when the Houses convene and the Opposition questions the Cabinet decision on a crucial matter, which was not brought to Parliament despite the session being on.

Leader of Opposition in the LS Sushma Swaraj had yesterday said, “The government’s decision is contempt of the House”. CPM’s Basudeb Acharia also questioned the move and said the CPM would tomorrow demand the withdrawal of cabinet decision. “The entire Opposition and UPA allies are against the decision,” he reasoned.

But Bansal defended the Cabinet and said, “The Cabinet is the decision-making body. Moreover, this decision is merely an enabling provision which lifts the hitherto existing embargo on FDI in retail in India. Several countries have done this. The states are free to shop on foreign players.”

The Attack

• The FDI decision is contempt of Parliament.
  — Sushma Swaraj, BJP
• Decision arrogant, ill-advised.
  — Jayalalithaa, AIADMK chief
• The decision of the government will render crores of small businesses and vendors unemployed.
  — Sharad Yadav, NDA convener

The defence

The Opposition is misleading the nation. They are deliberately disrupting proceedings. We will discuss the matter in Parliament if they want but only under Rule 193 of the Lok Sabha conduct which permits such discussions. We won’t accept an adjournment motion.
— Pawan Bansal, Parliamentary Affairs Minister