Bathinda, September 25
The Shiromani Akali Dal seems to be softening its stand on the burning issue of allowing FDI in retail with party president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today saying that a consensus should be build on the issue.

Talking to reporters after a political rally in Mansa today, he said that SAD might look for consensus on the issue.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had categorically refused to allow FDI in Punjab saying SAD was with the NDA “whether it suffered profit or loss”.

The BJP-led NDA is against the introduction of FDI in the country. “FDI is a complicated issue. The Centre should have consulted all stakeholders before introducing FDI in retail and aviation. If a consensus can be built on the issue now, no one will have an objection. But a consensus in the entire country is a must,” Sukhbir said today at Mansa.

Sukhbir was known to be a votary for FDI earlier, but changed his stand later due to political compulsions of the party to support the BJP on the issue. The Akali Dal has drawn flak from farmers and experts who question its stand arguing that FDI in retail would be beneficial for farmers. SAD has always portrayed itself as the champion of the farmers’ cause. Earlier, addressing a rally today in which former Congress MLA Mangat Rai Bansal along with his supporters joined the Shiromani Akali Dal today, Sukhbir said the days of the UPA government were numbered.

He said that the minority UPA government had no right to take any major policy decision as it had lost the right to govern the country.

Lashing out at the Congress-led UPA government for ignoring the claim of Rs 5,112 crore drought relief for Punjab farmers, Badal said that even the final figures of monsoon released by meteorological department pointed out that Punjab was the worst sufferer of the drought with rain deficiency of 42 per cent — the maximum in the country. He questioned the silence of Capt Amarinder Singh, Punjab Pradesh Congress Congress Committee president, on this grave injustice to the farmers of the state.

Badal parried the question regarding the expansion of the Punjab ministry saying that it was the prerogative of the Chief Minister.

Speaking on the occasion, Mangat Rai Bansal said that he was feeling relieved to bid adieu to a party that does not recognise its sincere leaders who were being forced to beg before the ‘cronies’ of Capt Amarinder Singh.